Commandant of the Coast Guard
| Commandant of the United States Coast Guard |
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| Formation | 14 December 1889 |
| First holder | Leonard G. Shepard |
| Website | http: |
The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard is the service chief and highest-ranking member of the U.S. Coast Guard. The Commandant is an admiral, appointed for a four-year term by the President of the United States upon confirmation by the United States Senate. The Commandant is assisted by a Vice Commandant, who is also an admiral, and two Area Commanders (U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area and U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area) and two Deputy Commandants (Deputy Commandant for Operations and Deputy Commandant for Mission Support), all of whom are vice admirals.
Though the United States Coast Guard is one of the five military branches of the United States, unlike the other service chiefs, the Commandant of the Coast Guard is not a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Commandant is, however, entitled to the same supplemental pay as the Joint Chiefs, per 37 U.S.C § 414(a)(5) ($4,000 per annum in 2009), and is accorded privilege of the floor under Senate Rule XXIII(1) as a de facto JCS member during Presidential addresses. The Commandant is also the only service chief who maintains operational command over his service. The Commandant reports to the President, via the Secretary of Homeland Security. Prior to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, the United States Coast Guard operated under and the Commandant reported to the Secretary of Transportation from 1966 to 2003, and the Secretary of Treasury from 1790 until 1966.
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