The commandant of the Coast Guard is the service chief and highest-ranking member of the United States Coast Guard. The commandant is an admiral, appointed for a four-year term by the president of the United States upon confirmation by the United States Senate. The commandant is assisted by a vice commandant, who is also an admiral, and two area commanders and two deputy commandants, all of whom are vice admirals.
Thad William Allen is a former admiral of the United States Coast Guard who served as the 23rd commandant from 2006 to 2010. Allen is best known for his performance directing the federal response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf Coast region from September 2005 to January 2006, and for his role as National Incident Commander of the Unified Command for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Robert J. Papp Jr. succeeded him as Commandant on 25 May 2010.
This article covers the organization of the United States Coast Guard.
Admiral Robert Joseph Papp Jr. is a retired admiral of the United States Coast Guard who served as the 24th commandant from 2010 to 2014. He led the largest component of the United States Department of Homeland Security, with 42,000 active duty, 8,200 Reserve, 8,000 civilian, and 31,000 Auxiliary personnel.
Vice Admiral Sally Brice-O'Hara is an American retired coast guardsman who was the 27th vice-commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Paul Frederick Zukunft is a retired admiral of the United States Coast Guard who served as the 25th commandant. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Commandant, with the rank of admiral, in May 2014 and relieved Robert J. Papp Jr. as commandant on 30 May 2014. Prior to his selection as Commandant, he served as Commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area. In this position, Zukunft was the operational commander for all U.S. Coast Guard missions within the half of the world that ranges from the Rocky Mountains to the waters off the East Coast of Africa. He concurrently served as Commander, Defense Force West and provided U.S. Coast Guard mission support to the U.S. Department of Defense and Combatant Commanders.
Martin Haynes Daniell, Jr. is a retired vice admiral in the United States Coast Guard who served as vice commandant from 1990 to 1992. He is the son of Martin H. and Winifred Daniell. Prior to serving as vice commandant, he was commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District. During that time he also headed a drug task force in Southern Florida and in the Southeast Region of the National Narcotics Border Interdiction System. He had also been stationed at the Coast Guard headquarters, where he was chief, operational law enforcement division; deputy chief, office of operations; deputy chief of staff of the Coast Guard; and chief of the office of navigation. Daniell received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Dartmouth College, Hanover, Hew Hampshire, in 1957 and earned Master of Science degree in management from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California. Daniell was born in Ensenada, Guanica, Puerto Rico. He is married to Carolyn Betancourt and has three children.
Karl Leo Schultz is a retired United States Coast Guard admiral who served as the 26th Commandant of the Coast Guard from 2018 to 2022.
Charles W. Ray is a retired United States Coast Guard admiral who served as the vice commandant of the Coast Guard from May 24, 2018 to June 18, 2021. He previously served as the Coast Guard's deputy commandant for operations.
Steven D. Poulin is a retired United States Coast Guard admiral who served as the 33rd Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard from 2022 to 2024. He most recently served as commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area and Coast Guard Defense Force East from 2020 to 2022. As Atlantic Area commander, he had operational control over Coast Guard missions covering the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf, covering 5 Coast Guard districts and 40 states. He previously served as director of operations for the United States Southern Command, commander of the Coast Guard First District, and Judge Advocate General and Chief Counsel of the Coast Guard.
Andrew Joseph Tiongson is a United States Coast Guard vice admiral. Vice Admiral Tiongson has served concurrently as Commander, Pacific Area and Commander, Defense Force West since 8 July 2022. He most recently served as the Director of Operations (J3) at the United States Southern Command and was previously Commander of the Coast Guard First District. In his first flag assignment, he served as the Coast Guard's Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commandant for Resources.
Paul F. Thomas is a retired United States Coast Guard vice admiral who last served as Deputy Commandant for Mission Support from 2021 to 2024. He previously served as Deputy for Personnel Readiness to the Deputy Commandant for Mission Support from 2019 to 2021, with tours as commander of the Eighth Coast Guard District from 2017 to 2019 and commander of Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville from 2006 to 2009.
Nathan A. Moore is a United States Coast Guard vice admiral and commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area. He previously served as deputy commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area and as commander of the Seventeenth Coast Guard District.
'Leopoldo "Leo" Velarde Laroya' is a Filipino Admiral who served as the 28th Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard. Prior to his promotion as commandant, he also served as the Deputy Commandant for Operations, and led three commands: the Maritime Safety Services Command, the Coast Guard Education, Training and Doctrine Command and the Maritime Security and Law Enforcement Command.
Peter Williams Gautier is a United States Coast Guard vice admiral who serves as the deputy commandant for operations. He previously served as the deputy commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area.
Kevin Eugene Lunday is a United States Coast Guard admiral who serves as the vice commandant of the Coast Guard. He previously served as commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area from 2022 to 2024.
Joanna M. Nunan is a United States Maritime Service vice admiral, and a retired United States Coast Guard rear admiral, who has served as the 14th superintendent of the United States Merchant Marine Academy since 8 December 2022. The first woman to become superintendent of the Academy, her appointment was lauded by secretary of transportation Pete Buttigieg and administrator of the United States Maritime Administration Ann C. Phillips.
