Rear Admiral Miriam L. Lafferty serves as the Assistant Commandant for Reserve at Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, D.C., where she provides operationally capable and ready Reserve personnel to support Coast Guard surge and mobilization requirements worldwide.

Most recently, Rear Admiral Lafferty served as the Deputy Director of Operations for U.S. Northern Command advising the Combatant Commander on operational matters including planning and executing land, air and maritime Homeland Defense, as well as Defense Support of Civil Authorities operations.

Prior to her tour at U.S. Northern Command, Rear Admiral Lafferty served in various reserve leadership roles as the Reserve Officer, Deputy Commandant for Operations in Washington, DC; Reserve Chief of Staff, Atlantic Area in Portsmouth, VA; and Senior Reserve Officer, District Seven in Miami, FL; where she provided expertise and strategic guidance on the mobilization and augmentation readiness, training and employment of Reserve forces. Other Reserve assignments include the Executive Officer for the Coast Guard Reserve Unit at U.S. Southern Command, Atlantic Area Cutter Forces Branch and Sector North Carolina in the Contingency Planning Department. 

Also, since June 2022, she has been a Board Member of the Reserve Forces Policy Board, which serves as an independent advisor to Secretary of Defense on Reserve and National Guard matters. 

Rear Admiral Lafferty has mobilized in support of five hurricanes, serving as the Liaison Officer to FEMA Region IV’s Regional Response Coordination Center coordinating Coast Guard and FEMA efforts. She also served as the Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast representative to U.S. Army South for maritime mass migration planning and operations. During the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Rear Admiral Lafferty was mobilized to serve at the National Incident Command coordinating critical resources and facilitating international offers of assistance to aid in the oil spill clean-up.

Rear Admiral Lafferty spent over 10 years on active duty in operational and intelligence positions. Her afloat assignments include Deck Watch Officer USCGC HARRIET LANE, Executive Officer USCGC DRUMMOND, and Commanding Officer USCGC CHANDELEUR where she conducted law enforcement, search and rescue, and homeland security operations. Her shore side tours include Intelligence Officer for the 13th District’s Office of Law Enforcement, Maritime Intelligence Unit in District 7, and the Secretary of Transportation’s Office of Intelligence and Security. 

Rear Admiral Lafferty is a 1993 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Science. She earned her Master of Science in Strategic Studies at the Joint Military Intelligence College (now known as the National Intelligence University). 

Rear Admiral Lafferty’s awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Coast Guard Commendation Medal and Coast Guard Achievement Medal. In addition, she holds a permanent Cutterman’s insignia.

(As of July 2022)