Rear Admiral Steven E. Day (Ret)
Director of
Reserve and Military Personnel Policy
United States Coast Guard
Rear Admiral Steven Day was recalled from retired status and assigned as Director of Reserve and Military Personnel Policy from April 2012 – January 2014. He directed the development and oversight of military personnel policy programs to recruit train and support approximately over 12,000 Coast Guard Reserve component members and more than 40,000 Active-Duty members. He retired on January 1, 2014.
Rear Admiral Day enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1967, was trained and rated as a Damage Controlman, serving at ashore and afloat units in California on active duty till 1971. In 1973 he affiliated with reserves and was assigned to units in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. He was advanced to Damage Controlman First Class in the Reserve in 1977. Rear Admiral Day is a 1973 graduate of Gogebic Community College, and a 1975 graduate of Northern Michigan University. He was commissioned in 1979. With over 35 years of commissioned service and experience as a Port Security and Boat Forces officer, Rear Admiral Day’s assignments include Reserve Unit commands at Hancock, MI and Green Bay, WI as well as command of Port Security Units 303, Milwaukee, WI and 309, Port Clinton, OH. Rear Admiral Day was deployed in support of military operations throughout his career to include two deployments to Jordan in 1985 and 1987 and OPERATION DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM deployment to the Port of Damman, Saudi Arabia. As commanding officer of Port Security Unit 309, Rear Admiral Day deployed to South Korea, Egypt and Bahrain and provided domestic port security operations during Operation Sail 2000 in New York harbor.
Beginning in 2001, Rear Admiral Day was assigned to the US Transportation Command, Scott AFB, IL, with subsequent tours as Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Element, US Joint Forces Command and Commanding Officer, Joint Training Unit, Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, VA. In 2003, Rear Admiral Day was recalled to active duty in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, deployed to the National Military Command Center in the Pentagon and to Coast Guard Headquarters, Defense Operations. Upon release from active duty, he was assigned as Senior Reserve Officer, Deputy Chief of Staff, Fifth Coast Guard District, Portsmouth, VA and Coast Guard Pacific Area Command as Reserve Chief of Staff/Senior Reserve Officer. In 2010, RADM Day was recalled for both OPERATION UNIFIED RESPONSE and DEEPWATER HORIZON while assigned as Deputy Commander for Mobilization and Readiness LANTARAEA Portsmouth, VA.
In 1982, Rear Admiral Day graduated with a Masters of Education from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. Rear Admiral Day has attended courses at the Naval War College, Army War College, Harvard and MIT. His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, three Joint Defense Commendation Medals, two Coast Guard Commendation Medals, Navy Commendation Medal, Coast Guard Achievement Medal and a Joint Defense Achievement Medal.