President Joe Biden intends to nominate Admiral Linda Fagan to be the next leader of the Coast Guard. If confirmed, Fagan would be the first woman to head a military service branch.
Fagan has been the second-in-command at the Coast Guard since 2021. She is the first woman to become a four-star admiral.
“Adm. Fagan is a tremendous leader, trailblazer, and respected public servant who will lead the Coast Guard across its critical missions with honor,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. “Within the Coast Guard and across the Department of Homeland Security, Adm. Fagan is admired as a role model of the utmost integrity, and her historic nomination is sure to inspire the next generation of women who are considering careers in military service.”
“Admiral Fagan’s nomination will inspire generations of American women to strive to serve at the highest level in the Armed Forces,” tweeted Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington.
Military.com reports:
Fagan, a 1985 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, became the service’s first female four-star last June when she assumed the duties of vice commandant, five years after the post became a four-star billet. She also became the third woman to serve as vice commandant, following Vice Adms. Vivien Crea and Sally Brice-O’Hara.
She rose through the ranks as a Marine Safety Officer, responsible for investigating maritime accidents, as well as monitoring merchant vessels and marine facilities, licensing mariners and overseeing safety programs.
Throughout her nearly 40-year career, Fagan worked more than 15 years as a marine inspector and has served aboard the heavy icebreaker Polar Star.
Fagan “is the Coast Guard’s first-ever Gold Ancient Trident, an award created in 2016 and given to the service member with the longest record in the Marine Safety field,” reports POLITICO.