United States Coast Guard

U.S. Coast Guard leadership and major components within DHS

Government · Functional structure · 57K employees · Washington, DC

1
Agency head span
↓ tighter than peers (avg 10)
0
Avg span
tight
3
Max depth
3 levels

Interactive org chart

United States Coast Guard organizational chart

Explore the agency leadership model, component structure, and reporting layers from official public sources.

Open editable chart

Leadership overview of the United States Coast Guard as a DHS operational component, highlighting its command structure and major functional elements based on official DHS sources and widely known public facts.

What to model

Use the chart to test org decisions, not just view reporting lines

Start with the public baseline, then use the scenario views and source-backed changes to ask what happens when leadership, span, or team ownership shifts.

Scenario views in the chart

  • Add Cross-Mission Data and AI Office Model the addition of a centralized data and AI coordination office reporting to the Vice Commandant to support maritime domain awareness.
  • Model Vice Commandant Vacancy Simulate a temporary vacancy in the Vice Commandant role to assess continuity of command.

Atlas work this supports

The people

Key leaders and offices

2 senior leadership roles or offices from official public sources. Use this section as a current agency-leadership index, not a private-company filing table.

Admiral Kevin E. Lunday

Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard

Office of the Commandant

1 reports

Admiral Thomas G. Allan Jr.

Vice Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard

Office of the Vice Commandant

0 reports

The operating model

How United States Coast Guard divides the work

4 offices, branches, or components organize the agency mission. Tile size scales with estimated staff where public estimates exist.

Office of the Commandant

p1

Central command authority of the Coast Guard, responsible for overall leadership and strategic direction.

Operational Command

p1

Oversees Atlantic and Pacific Area commands responsible for Coast Guard operations worldwide.

Mission Support

p1

Provides logistics, engineering, acquisition, and support services enabling operational missions.

Force Readiness

p1

Manages training, education, and readiness of active-duty, reserve, and auxiliary personnel.

The agency brief

What this U.S. agency structure tells us

The United States Coast Guard is a unique armed service within the Department of Homeland Security, exercising both military authority and civilian law-enforcement powers. It operates under a command structure headed by the Commandant, reflecting its role as a uniformed service. The Coast Guard’s mission spans maritime safety, security, environmental protection, and defense readiness, serving the public directly through search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, and protection of ports and waterways. Structurally distinctive among DHS components, it can be transferred to the Department of the Navy during wartime while retaining its multi-mission civilian authorities in peacetime.
  • Only U.S. military service within DHS
  • Holds both Title 10 and Title 14 authorities

The comparison

Compare with related agencies

Compared with other DHS operational components such as CBP or ICE, the Coast Guard stands out as a military service with uniformed ranks and a global operational footprint. Unlike FEMA or CISA, which focus on disaster response or cyber risk, the Coast Guard combines defense, law enforcement, and regulatory functions …

Senior office count

United States Coast Guard
2
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
12
Transportation Security Administration
10
Federal Emergency Management Agency
9

Reporting depth

United States Coast Guard
3 levels
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
4 levels
Transportation Security Administration
4 levels
Federal Emergency Management Agency
4 levels

Current signals

What changed recently

No recent Coast Guard–specific leadership changes documented in the provided DHS sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who leads the United States Coast Guard?

The United States Coast Guard is led by the Commandant, Admiral Kevin E. Lunday.

What does the United States Coast Guard do?

The Coast Guard protects U.S. maritime interests by conducting search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, environmental protection, and national defense missions.

What are the major offices or components of the United States Coast Guard?

Major components include the Office of the Commandant, Atlantic and Pacific Area commands, Mission Support, Force Readiness, and the Reserve and Auxiliary components.

Who does the United States Coast Guard report to?

The Coast Guard is an operational component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and reports to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

How can this org chart be used for planning or analysis?

This org chart helps analysts understand command authority, mission alignment, and how operational and support components relate within the Coast Guard.

Sources

Reference

Cite this page

If you reference this page in research, analysis, or news writing, use one of the formats below. Citation includes the SEC filing source where applicable.

APA 7th
Creately. (2026). United States Coast Guard organizational structure. Creately. Retrieved , from https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/united-states-coast-guard/
MLA 9th
"United States Coast Guard Organizational Structure." Creately, April 1, 2026, https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/united-states-coast-guard/. Accessed .
Chicago 17
Creately. "United States Coast Guard Organizational Structure." Last modified April 1, 2026. https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/united-states-coast-guard/.

Permanent URL: https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/united-states-coast-guard/ · last updated 2026-04-01

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