Coast Guard Vice Commandant Charles Michel was promoted to the rank of admiral on Wednesday, giving the Coast Guard two four-stars atop the chain of command just like the rest of the services.
The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015 allowed the president to nominate Michel for promotion “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,” according to a Coast Guard news release.
“I am humbled to be the first Coast Guard vice commandant promoted to the rank of four-star admiral,” Michel said in the news release. “This promotion will enable me and future vice commandants to better represent the Coast Guard and the commandant.”
Michel has served as vice commandant since August 2015 and oversees headquarters staff and senior operational and mission support commanders. A Defense Department biography notes he is the first four-star vice commandant in Coast Guard history and also the first career judge advocate in any military service to wear four stars. Michel is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law and is a current member of the Florida Bar.
