Join the Homeland Security and Defense Forum on March 2nd for a roundtable discussion with Retired Rear Admiral Christopher Tomney who leads the Office of Homeland Security Situational Awareness (OSA) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Hear about how the National Operations Center continues to evolve; efforts at DHS to promote information sharing with SLTT, private sector, and international partners; and the role of technology to improve intelligence integration and coordination. To RSVP, please contact rsvp@hsdf.org.
About the Career of Rear Admiral Christopher Tomney, USCG (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Christopher Tomney, USCG (ret.), serves as the Director of the Office of Homeland Security Situational Awareness (OSA) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He oversees the National Operations Center and staffs who provide situational awareness, a common operational picture, and promote information sharing among federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, private sector, and international partners that form the nation’s Homeland Security Enterprise. Director Tomney began overseeing these responsibilities in August 2019, when the office was still named the Office of Operations Coordination (OPS), and oversaw its transition to OSA in December 2022. Prior to the transition, Director Tomney also facilitated strategic cross-Component operations and served as the DHS’s Continuity Coordinator, ensuring the Department’s resiliency to all threats and hazards. Director Tomney joined DHS Headquarters in October 2018 when he was asked to serve as a Special Advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security. As a Special Advisor, he examined overall operational coordination across the Department and led a Unified Coordination Group supporting Southwest Border humanitarian and security crisis operations.
Rear Admiral Tomney retired from the U.S. Coast Guard in July 2018 after serving as Director, Joint Interagency Task Force South; a position which he held since April 2015. Previous flag officer assignments included Assistant Commandant, Intelligence and Criminal Investigations and Director, Joint Interagency Task Force West.
Rear Admiral Tomney served in a variety of intelligence assignments. He was the School Chief for the Coast Guard’s Operational Intelligence School, Deputy Director of the Coast Guard’s Pacific Area Intelligence Division, and Deputy Director of the Coast Guard’s Counterintelligence Service. Upon establishment, he served as the first Director of Intelligence Operations for the Maritime Intelligence Fusion Center, Pacific. His national-level intelligence experience includes Chief of the Coast Guard’s Intelligence Plans and Policy Office, Executive Assistant to the Assistant Commandant for Intelligence and Criminal Investigations, and Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Intelligence Coordination Center.
Rear Admiral Tomney is a permanent cutterman and is qualified in tactical law enforcement. He commanded USCGC POINT MONROE out of Freeport, Texas and USCGC OCRACOKE out of Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. He was a Deck Watch Officer on USCGC DILIGENCE and Executive Officer on USCGC CONFIDENCE homeported in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Additionally, he commanded Law Enforcement Detachment Two out of Key West, Florida. He has been awarded the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal (2), Legion of Merit (2), Meritorious Service Medal, the Coast Guard Commendation Medal (4), and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal by the Director of National Intelligence.
Rear Admiral Tomney graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Science. He earned a Master of Science degree in Strategic Intelligence from the Defense Intelligence College, and completed a federal executive fellowship at the Brookings Institution – earning the Brookings Certificate in Public Leadership.
