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.
Edwin John Roland, was a United States Coast Guard admiral and served as the twelfth Commandant of the Coast Guard from 1962 to 1966. During his tenure, Roland oversaw the replacement of many World War II era cutters under fleet modernization programs. He also assisted the U.S. Navy with operations in Vietnam by supplying crews and cutters for Operation Market Time. Roland was noted for his support in efforts to bring international safety standards to merchant shipping. Although Roland was already retired when the Coast Guard was transferred from the Department of Treasury to the newly formed Department of Transportation in 1967, he was largely responsible for the advance planning for the move and the Coast Guard retaining its military responsibilities along with its transportation related functions.
Merlin O'Neill served as the tenth Commandant of the United States Coast Guard from 1 January 1950 to 1 June 1954.
James C. Van Sice is a retired Rear Admiral in the United States Coast Guard. He was the 38th Superintendent of the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, succeeding Rear Admiral Robert C. Olsen. He was succeeded by Rear Admiral J. Scott Burhoe. Rear Admiral Van Sice retired from the Coast Guard in 2007..
Terry M. Cross is a retired United States Coast Guard Vice Admiral who served as Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard from July 2004 until June 2006. He served as the Coast Guard's second in command and was the Agency Acquisition Executive.
This article covers the organization of the United States Coast Guard.
Admiral Robert Joseph Papp Jr. is a retired United States Coast Guard admiral and served as the 24th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. 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 David Brian Peterman retired in July 2008. Prior to retiring he was Commander, Atlantic Area / Commander, Defense Force East. He assumed command of United States Coast Guard Atlantic Area on May 9, 2006 and was the operational commander for all Coast Guard activities in an area of responsibility east of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico, across the Atlantic Ocean to the Persian Gulf and throughout the Caribbean Sea. Over 33,000 military and civilian personnel, and 30,000 auxiliarists were under his leadership. He served concurrently as Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Defense Force East. With this change of command, Peterman relieved Vice Admiral Vivien S. Crea.
Charles D. Wurster is a retired vice admiral in the United States Coast Guard who last served as the Commander, Pacific Area and Commander, Defense Force West. He is now retired from the Coast Guard, is the President/CEO of the Port of San Diego, and serves as national commodore of the Sea Scouting division of the BSA.
Jody A. Breckenridge is a former commander of the U.S. Coast Guard's Pacific Area.
Daniel B. Lloyd is a retired United States Coast Guard Rear Admiral. His last tour of duty in 2011, was as the Director of Joint Interagency Task Force South. Lloyd assumed the duties of Military Advisor to the Secretary, United States Department of Homeland Security, in June 2006. In this role, he was responsible for advising the Secretary on matters involving coordination between the Department of Homeland Security and all branches of the military.
John C. Acton is a retired United States Coast Guard rear admiral who served as the Director of Operations Coordination for DHS. Acton formerly served as Director of the DHS Presidential Transition Team.
Ronald James Rábago is a retired United States Coast Guard rear admiral who in 2006 became the first person of Hispanic American descent to be promoted to flag rank in the United States Coast Guard. He retired as the assistant commandant for engineering and logistics and the United States Coast Guard's chief engineer in 2014.
Cari Batson Thomas is a retired rear admiral in the United States Coast Guard and a 1984 graduate of the U. S. Coast Guard Academy. On January 22, 2010, Thomas was ceremoniously advanced to rear admiral and became the third recent female commander of the training center to be advanced to a flag officer. Her final assignment was Assistant Commandant for Human Resources at the Coast Guard Academy.
Paul Frederick Zukunft is a retired United States Coast Guard admiral who served as the 25th Commandant of the Coast Guard. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Commandant, with the rank of Admiral, in May 2014 and relieved Admiral 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.
Hispanics in the United States Coast Guard can trace their tradition of service to the early 19th century, when they initially performed duties at light house stations as keepers and assistant keepers in its predecessor services. Hispanic is an ethnic term employed to categorize any citizen or resident of the United States, of any racial background, of any country, and of any religion, who has at least one ancestor from the people of Spain or is of non-Hispanic origin, but has an ancestor from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central or South America, or some other Hispanic origin. The three largest Hispanic groups in the United States are the Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans.
Captain Charley L. Diaz is a 30-year United States Coast Guard veteran who served on Active Duty from 1982 to 2012. Diaz is best known for leading the crew of the USCGC Sherman (WHEC-720) in the seizure of the Panamanian freighter GATUN off the coast of Panama in March 2007, which netted nearly 20 tons of cocaine worth an estimated $600 million. It was the largest maritime drug bust in US history.
Karl Leo Schultz is an American United States Coast Guard admiral serving as the 26th Commandant of the Coast Guard.
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.
Donna L. Cottrell is a retired United States Coast Guard rear admiral who last served as the Coast Guard District 9 Commander. In this role, she served as the senior Commander for the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway, an area that covers eight states. The Area of Operations for the command accumulates over 6,700 miles of shoreline and 1,500 miles of international shoreline with Canada. In addition, she previously oversaw the service level command, Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) out of Jacksonville, FL.
United States of America 
United States Navy 
Rear Admiral 
