The United States Coast Guard announced Wednesday that Adm. Karl L. Schultz was relieved as Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard by Adm. Linda L. Fagan during a military change-of-command ceremony presided over by President Joseph R. Biden at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters. (DHS photo by Benjamin Applebaum)
Fagan assumed duties as Commandant following service as vice commandant, the chief operating officer managing internal organizational governance, and as the component acquisition executive.
Fagan is the Coast Guard’s first woman to hold the rank of four-star admiral. Today, she again made history not only as the first woman to lead the Coast Guard—but also as the first woman service chief of any U.S. military service.
"Today we witness a tradition longstanding in the USCG. Change of Command, as a new admiral assumes leadership of our nation’s oldest continuous seagoing service. It’s both a connection to the earliest days of our nation, plus a new milestone in our history. We’ve used those phrases lightly, but this is a big deal," Biden said. "Throughout her decades of service, she’s demonstrated exceptional skill, integrity, and commitment to our country. There’s no one more qualified to lead the proud men and women of the Coast Guard. And she will also be the first woman to serve as Commandant of the Coast Guard, the first woman to lead any branch of the U.S. armed forces. And it’s about time."
"With her trailblazing career," Biden said, "Adm. Fagan shows young people entering service that we mean it when we say, “There are no doors closed to women.”
Keeping with the tradition of wearing shoulder boards passed down from a senior officer, Adm. Fagan wore the shoulder boards of Adm. Owen Siler. As the service's 15th Commandant, he opened the Coast Guard Academy's doors to women in 1975. Despite having met Silor only once, Adm. Fagan acknowledged "the outsized impact of that decision."
"If it were not for [Adm.] Owen Siler’s courage, I would not be here today," said Adm. Fagan. "I’m wearing the shoulder boards that he wore as commandant, just to acknowledge the long blue line."
The 27th Commandant directed her remarks to the Coast Guard workforce. "I'm honored and humbled to serve as your Commandant. I've always been inspired by the Coast Guard professionals serving in all our missions around the world," she said. "Thank you for your dedication, your hard work, and your service. It is my greatest privilege to work on your behalf."
Never in the history of the United States has a woman led a branch of the armed forces. Today Adm. Linda Fagan made history. Congratulations to the new Commandant of the @USCG. pic.twitter.com/KrLQLXFM8g
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) June 1, 2022
