| Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the Coast Guard | |
 Flag of the vice commandant | |
.jpg) | |
| United States Coast Guard | |
| Type | Service vice chief |
| Reports to | Commandant of the Coast Guard |
| Seat | Douglas A. Munro Coast Guard Headquarters Building,Washington, D.C. |
| Appointer | Thepresident withSenateadvice and consent |
| Constituting instrument | 14 U.S.C. § 304 |
| Formation | 1929 |
| First holder | Benjamin M. Chiswell |
| Website | www.uscg.mil |
Thevice commandant of the Coast Guard serves as thesecond-in-command of theUnited States Coast Guard, behind only thecommandant of the Coast Guard.
Since 1929, 31 officers have served as vice commandant, or, as the position was referred to before 1972, assistant commandant. The title of the position was changed effective October 2, 1972, pursuant toPub. L. 92–451. This position has been historically held by avice admiral until theCoast Guard Authorization Act of 2015 elevated the statutory rank for the position toadmiral.
The current vice commandant is AdmiralKevin E. Lunday, who assumed office on June 13, 2024.[1]
| No. | Name | Photo | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Captain Benjamin M. Chiswell |  | 1929–1931 |
| 2 | Rear Admiral Leon C. Covell | 1931–1941 | |
| 3 | Rear Admiral Lloyd T. Chalker |  | 1941–1946 |
| 4 | Vice Admiral Merlin O'Neill |  | 1946–1949 |
| 5 | Rear Admiral Alfred C. Richmond |  | 1949–1954 |
| 6 | Vice Admiral James Hirshfield |  | 1954–1962 |
| 7 | Vice Admiral Edwin J. Roland |  | 1962–1962 |
| 8 | Vice Admiral Donald M. Morrison | 1962–1964 | |
| 9 | Vice Admiral William D. Shields | 1964–1966 | |
| 10 | Vice Admiral Paul E. Trimble |  | 1966–1970 |
| 11 | Vice Admiral Thomas R. Sargent III |  | 1970–1974 |
| 12 | Vice Admiral Ellis L. Perry |  | 1974–1978 |
| 13 | Vice Admiral Robert H. Scarborough |  | 1978–1982 |
| 14 | Vice Admiral Benedict L. Stabile |  | 1982–1986 |
| 15 | Vice Admiral James C. Irwin |  | 1986–1988 |
| 16 | Vice Admiral Clyde T. Lusk |  | 1988–1990 |
| 17 | Vice Admiral Martin H. Daniell |  | 1990–1992 |
| 18 | Vice Admiral Robert T. Nelson |  | 1992–1994 |
| 19 | Vice Admiral Arthur E. Henn |  | 1994–1996 |
| 20 | Vice Admiral Richard D. Herr |  | 1996–1998 |
| 21 | Vice Admiral James C. Card |  | 1998–2000 |
| 22 | Vice Admiral Thomas H. Collins |  | 2000–2002 |
| 23 | Vice Admiral Thomas J. Barrett |  | 2002–2004 |
| 24 | Vice Admiral Terry M. Cross |  | 2004–2006 |
| 25 | Vice Admiral Vivien Crea |  | 2006–2009 |
| 26 | Vice Admiral David Pekoske |  | 2009–2010 |
| 27 | Vice Admiral Sally Brice-O'Hara |  | 2010–2012 |
| 28 | Vice Admiral John Currier |  | 2012–2014 |
| 29 | Vice Admiral Peter Neffenger |  | 2014–2015 |
| 30 | Admiral Charles D. Michel[2][3] |  | 2015–2018 |
| 31 | Admiral Charles W. Ray |  | 2018–2021 |
| 32 | Admiral Linda L. Fagan |  | 2021–2022 |
| 33 | Admiral Steven D. Poulin |  | 2022–2024 |
| 34 | Admiral Kevin E. Lunday | | 2024–present |
