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This article covers the organization of the United States Coast Guard.
Contents
- Admiral
- Vice admiral
- Rear admiral
- Commodore
- Captain
- Commander
- Junior officers
- Chief warrant officers
- Chief petty officers
- Regional responsibilities
- Coast Guard Sectors
- Coast Guard Air Stations
- Staff elements
- Other
- References
The headquarters of the Coast Guard is located at 2703 Martin Luther King Jr Avenue SE in Washington, D.C.. The Coast Guard relocated to the grounds of the former St. Elizabeths Hospital in 2013.
Admiral
The Commandant of the Coast Guard is the Coast Guard's most senior officer, who, by law, holds the rank of admiral. The commandant is selected for a four-year term, which may be renewed for additional four-year periods. The current incumbent is Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, who replaced Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., in a change of command ceremony on May 30, 2014.
The Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard is Admiral Charles D. Michel.
Vice admiral
The Deputy Commandant for Operations is Vice Admiral Charles W. Ray.
The Deputy Commandant for Mission Support is Vice Admiral Sandra Stosz.
The Commander of the Atlantic Area and Maritime Homeland Defense area Atlantic is Vice Admiral Karl L. Schultz.
The Commander of the Pacific Area and Coast Guard Defense Forces West is Vice Admiral Fred M. Midgette.
Rear admiral
There are approximately 38 rear admirals in the Coast Guard. Positions held by rear admirals include the commanders of each of the nine Coast Guard Districts, the nine assistant commandants, and the deputies to each of the vice admirals. They are also located at Coast Guard Headquarters, Department of Defense commands, and other Coast Guard commands.
The Superintendent of the United States Coast Guard Academy is Rear Admiral James E. Rendon.
The Coast Guard also utilizes members of the civilian Senior Executive Service (SES) to serve as executives within the organization. There are approximately 16 SES officials in the Coast Guard.
Commodore
The rank of commodore is no longer used in the Coast Guard. The equivalent rank used today is rear admiral (lower half). The chief elected officers of the Coast Guard Auxiliary are referred to as commodores, signifying their senior elected office, rather than a military rank.
The title of commodore is occasionally granted to senior officers (typically of pay grade O-6, which is a captain) who are placed in command of a group or squadron of cutters. It is not a flag rank, but rather a title used to signify command of multiple units afloat.
Captain
Coast Guard captains, like their Navy counterparts, rank immediately below rear admiral (lower half). Coast Guard captains command most large operational units—sectors, large cutters, large air stations, integrated support commands, training centers and large headquarters units. Captains also direct most headquarters, area and district staff elements. Most captains have served in the Coast Guard for 21 to 30 years.
By maritime tradition, the commanding officer of a ship is also called "captain", regardless of actual rank held. Thus, a young junior officer commanding a patrol boat is properly called "captain" even if his or her actual rank is lieutenant, or lieutenant (junior grade). This tradition has also carried over to many shore units. Occasionally, terms like "old man" and "skipper" are also used, though not usually in the presence of the "captain". However, in current usage, the person in charge of a Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary small boat is the "coxswain" (pronounced cok-sun).
Commander
Coast Guard commanders (Pay grade O-5) may head departments in large operational units or staff positions, or they may be the commanding officer of a medium-sized unit. The term commander is also associated with specific commanding officer positions, such as sector commander (usually a captain) or district commander (usually a rear admiral).
Junior officers
The other commissioned officer ranks are (from most senior to least senior)
Chief warrant officers
The Coast Guard has three ranks of chief warrant officers. Chief warrant officers are warranted officers and are promoted from senior enlisted ranks. The ranks of warrant officer (WO1) and chief warrant officer 5 (CWO5) are not used in the Coast Guard. The three ranks in use are (from most senior to least senior):
An example of a position held by a chief warrant officer is commanding officer of a small cutter, such as USCGC Abbie Burgess.
A chief warrant officer is not addressed as "chief"; that title that is normally reserved for the enlisted rank of chief petty officer (E-7). The proper way to address a chief warrant officer is to refer to their title (CWO, CWO3) or to address them as "Mr." or "Ms."
Chief petty officers
The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (MCPOCG) is the senior enlisted person of the Coast Guard and serves as an advisor to the commandant. Like the commandant, the MCPOCG serves a four-year term. The current MCPOCG is Steven W. Cantrell, who assumed this position on May 22, 2014. The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Reserve is Master Chief Petty Officer Eric Johnson.
Chief petty officers, often called "chief", are one of the leadership backbones of the Coast Guard. Chiefs are well versed in most areas of service, and the old adage of "go ask the chief" holds true today. Chiefs are Officers-in-Charge of Motor Lifeboat Stations, act as engineering petty officers on patrol boats, and keep larger Coast Guard cutters on a true head bearing as deck watch officers.
Regional responsibilities
The Coast Guard is divided into two area commands, the Atlantic Area and the Pacific Area, each of which is commanded by a vice admiral, with each being designated Maritime Homeland Defense Areas. Each includes various district commands.
The Coast Guard Atlantic Area includes five district commands covering the Eastern United States, the Atlantic Ocean, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico. Its office is located in Portsmouth, Virginia.
The Coast Guard Pacific Area includes four district commands covering the Western United States and the Pacific Ocean. Its office is located at Coast Guard Island in Alameda, California.
The Coast Guard is further organized into nine districts, commanded by a District Commander, a rear admiral, with each responsible for a portion of the nation's coastline.
There are three major operational commands located outside the United States:
Coast Guard Sectors
Within each District, large operational shore-side units known as Sectors are responsible for mission execution within their area of responsibility. Sectors were formed when "groups" were merged with what were formerly known as Marine Safety Offices. Coast Guard small boat stations are called Stations and report to Sectors. Each Sector Commander reports to the appropriate District Commander.
Coast Guard Air Stations
Coast Guard Air Stations provide aviation support for other Coast Guard activities. The commanding officer of a Coast Guard Air Station reports to the appropriate District Commander.
Staff elements
On July 23, 2007, the Coast Guard instituted a consolidated acquisition directorate, which handles major systems and future equipment acquisitions. It is the second largest staff element at Coast Guard headquarters. Rear Admiral Gary T. Blore, Assistant Commandant for Acquisition, leads the directorate.
The directorate’s programs include all platforms and mission systems designed to modernize and recapitalize the Coast Guard’s fleet of cutters, boats, aircraft, and information technology assets. Under the new organization, these programs are consolidated from the legacy Coast Guard acquisitions directorate and the Integrated Deepwater System Program. The new directorate also brings together the office of procurement management; the office of research, development and technical management; the Research and Development Center; and the head of contracting.
Other
The Curatorial Services Office (CG-92) is located in Forestville, Maryland which includes the U.S. Coast Guard Exhibit Center.