Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard


The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard is the senior enlisted member of the U.S. Coast Guard and the principal advisor to the Commandant of the Coast Guard on all enlisted personnel matters.
The holder of this position is equivalent to the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sergeant Major of the Army, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, and Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and by protocol is equal to a vice admiral.
The MCPOCG is appointed by the Commandant of the Coast Guard to serve as a spokesperson to address the issues of enlisted personnel to the highest levels in the Coast Guard. As such the MCPOCG is the senior enlisted advisor to the Commandant of the Coast Guard. The MCPOCG's exact duties vary, depending on the Commandant, though generally devotes much time traveling throughout the Coast Guard observing training and communicating with Coast Guardsmen and their families. The normal tour of assignment is four years, which runs concurrently with the Commandant of the Coast Guard. The first member to hold this post was MCPOCG Charles L. Calhoun, and the current MCPOCG is Jason M. Vanderhaden.

Master Chief Petty Officers of the Coast Guard

No.MCPOCGPhotoTenure
1MCPOCG Charles L. Calhoun1969–1973
2MCPOCG Philip F. Smith1973–1977
3MCPOCG Hollis B. Stephens1977–1981
4MCPOCG Carl W. Constantine1981–1986
5MCPOCG Allen Thiele1986–1990
6MCPOCG R. Jay Lloyd1990–1994
7MCPOCG Eric A. Trent1994–1998
8MCPOCG Vincent W. Patton III1998–2002
9MCPOCG Frank A. Welch2002–2006
10MCPOCG Charles W. Bowen2006–2010
11MCPOCG Michael P. Leavitt2010–2014
12MCPOCG Steven W. Cantrell2014–2018
13MCPOCG Jason M. Vanderhaden2018–present