Admiral Kevin E. Lunday assumed the duties and responsibilities of the 34th Vice Commandant on June 13, 2024. As the Vice Service Chief, he advances and executes the Commandant’s strategic vision and intent, directs internal organizational governance, and serves as the Component Acquisition Executive.
Admiral Lunday previously served as Commander, Atlantic Area where he directed operations from the Navigable Inland Waterways east of the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes, Gulf Coast, and East Coast of the U.S. throughout the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent parts of the Arctic Ocean to the Arabian Gulf. He also served under Presidential appointment as Director, Department of Homeland Security Joint Task Force East, responsible for unifying operations to secure the U.S. Southeast Border and maritime approaches, including leading efforts to deter and prevent maritime mass migration from Haiti and Cuba. Admiral Lunday has extensive experience in the Indo-Pacific where he served as Commander of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District, directing operations throughout Oceania, including Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, as well as activities in Japan and Singapore. He led efforts to strengthen partnerships through maritime security with other Pacific Island nations in the face of growing strategic competition.
Experienced in operational and technical cyberspace operations, Admiral Lunday served as Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Cyber Command where he directed the operation, maneuver, and defense of the Coast Guard Enterprise Mission Platform as part of Department of Defense (DoD) networks. He also directed remote and deployable cyberspace operations to protect U.S. maritime critical infrastructure from cyberattack. Prior to this role he served as Director of Exercises and Training (J7), U.S. Cyber Command where he directed the joint training and certification of the DoD Cyber Mission Force, the joint U.S. warfighting force in cyberspace.
His other Flag assignments include Deputy for Materiel Readiness where he oversaw enterprise program management for Coast Guard acquisitions and contracting, information technology, and engineering and logistics. He also served as Assistant Commandant for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Information Technology where he performed the duties of Chief Information Officer.
Admiral Lunday is a career national security attorney and judge advocate, licensed to practice in multiple states and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is also a Certified Information Privacy Professional and has spoken and published on cybersecurity, privacy, technology, and the law. He is a Distinguished Graduate of the National War College with a Master of Science in National Security Strategy, and graduate of the Naval War College with distinction. He holds a Juris Doctor with high honors from George Washington University Law School and Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering with honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. His is a recipient of the American Bar Association Outstanding Military Service Career Judge Advocate Award (2005) and National Intelligence Certificate of Distinction (2004) for his leadership integrating the Coast Guard into the U.S. Intelligence Community. He has earned additional personal, team, and campaign awards during 37 years of Coast Guard service.