US Coast Guard Promotes Second Four-star Admiral

Posted by Eric Haun June 1, 2016

Adm. Zukunft (right), presents the new flag of the vice commandant of the Coast Guard to Adm. Charles at the conclusion of a ceremony at the Douglas Munro Coast Guard Headquarters Building in Washington, D.C., June 1, 2016. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Kyle Niemi)

Charles D. Michel, vice commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, was promoted to the rank of admiral at Coast Guard Headquarters Wednesday.

Following passage of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015, the president nominated Michel for promotion to the rank of admiral to align the leadership structure of the Coast Guard to that of the other armed services and recognize the important role of the vice service chief at the national level.

“I am humbled to be the first Coast Guard vice commandant promoted to the rank of four-star admiral,” Michel said. “This promotion will enable me and future vice commandants to better represent the Coast Guard and the commandant.”

As second in command, Michel directly oversees Coast Guard's senior operational and mission support commanders, as well as Headquarters staff, and serves as service chief in absence of the Commandant.

Michel became the 30th vice commandant of the Coast Guard on August 6, 2015, after serving as the service's deputy commandant for operations, responsible for establishing and providing operational strategy, policy, guidance and resources as needed to meet national priorities for Coast Guard missions, programs and services.

A native of Brandon, Fla., he graduated from the U. S. Coast Guard Academy in 1985. In 1992, he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law.

His previous flag officer assignments include deputy commander of U. S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area; director of Joint Interagency Task Force South; military advisor to the secretary of homeland security; and the director for the Coast Guard’s governmental and public affairs directorate.