Commandant of the Coast Guard
U.S. Coast Guard
Admiral Kevin E. Lunday assumed the duties as the 28th Commandant on January 15, 2026. He commands the Coast Guard, which is an integral part of the Department of Homeland Security team protecting the Nation and at all times one of the six military services and part of the joint force that defends it. He directs operations to control, secure, and defend the U.S. border and maritime approaches, facilitate commerce vital to U.S. economic prosperity and strategic mobility, and respond to crises or contingencies that may come without warning. He leads 57,000 Coast Guard military (Active and Reserve) and civilian personnel, supported by 21,000 Auxiliary volunteers.
Admiral Lunday served as the Acting Commandant from January 2025 until assuming his current duties, directing the initial implementation of Force Design 2028 to transform the Coast Guard into a more agile, capable, and responsive fighting force.
He previously served as the 34th Vice Commandant from June 2024 to January 2025.
From July 2022 to June 2024, he served as Commander, Atlantic Area, commanding operations from the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf, spanning the inland navigable waterways, Great Lakes, Gulf Coast, and East Coast of the U.S. throughout the Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean and parts of the Arctic Ocean.
Previously, Admiral Lunday served as Commander of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District in the Pacific, leading operations throughout Oceania, including Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, as well as activities in Japan and Singapore. As Commander of U.S. Coast Guard Cyber Command, he directed the operation and defense of the Coast Guard Enterprise Mission Platform as part of Department of Defense (DoD) networks. He also led remote and deployable cyberspace operations to protect U.S. maritime critical infrastructure from cyberattack. At U.S. Cyber Command, he served as the Director of Exercises and Training (J7), responsible for training and certification of the DoD Cyber Mission Force—the joint U.S. warfighting force in cyberspace.
A career national security attorney and judge advocate, Admiral Lunday is a Distinguished Graduate of the National War College with a Master of Science in National Security Strategy. He graduated with distinction from the Naval War College, holds a Juris Doctor with high honors from George Washington University Law School, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering with honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He has received multiple personal, team, and campaign awards over his nearly 39 years of service
Sea Service Chiefs Lunch and Town Hall
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
11:30 AM - 1:15 PM PT