Lieutenant Chris Dunton graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and received his commission through the Coast Guard Officer Candidate School in 2016. Prior to his commissioning, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2006 to 2011 and taught high school social studies and English from 2015 to 2017.

LT Dunton’s first Coast Guard assignment was at Sector Jacksonville, where he served in the Enforcement Division. In 2017, he reported to the Coast Guard District Southeast Reserve Management Branch as Deputy Branch Chief, supporting the District’s responses to Hurricanes Irma and Maria. In 2018, he transferred to the District Southeast Command Center, where, as a Command Duty Officer, he oversaw all search and rescue and law enforcement operations across the District’s 1.7 million square mile area of responsibility.

In 2021, LT Dunton reported to Sector San Diego’s Emergency Management and Force Readiness Department, overseeing the Ready for Operations team, the Area Maritime Security Committee, and the Port Readiness Committee. He fleeted up in 2022 to serve as Chief of Incident Management, acting as Sector San Diego’s lead Federal On-Scene Coordinator Representative for all hazardous material and oil spill responses, as well as a Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator. During this tour, he also deployed in support of Operation Allies Welcome at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Hurricane Ian, and the Lahaina wildfire response with the Gulf Strike Team.

Before reporting to the Management Department as a rotating military instructor in 2026, LT Dunton earned a Master of Business Administration with a focus in Economics from Boise State University’s College of Business and Economics.