U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Michael Day, the acting deputy commandant for mission support, delivers his retirement remarks at the Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia, on Aug. 20, 2025. Rear Adm. Day’s military career began in 1982 as a U.S. Navy enlisted member before entering U.S. Coast Guard Officer Candidate School in Yorktown, Virginia, in 1991. His 38 combined years of service included numerous awards and achievements from crisis responses, such as his response to the events on 9/11 as the Coast Guard’s on-scene commander, where he led the maritime evacuation of over 500,000 people. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Gabriel Wisdom)