Adm Linda Fagan becomes first female to lead US armed forces branch
President Joe Biden poses for a photo with Adm Linda Fagan, left, and Adm Karl Schultz during a change of command ceremony at US coast guard headquarters, Wednesday. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP
Adm Linda L Fagan will be the first woman to lead a branch of the US armed forces, serving as the 27th commandant of the US coast guard.
Fagan will lead the coast guard after being sworn into the position on Wednesday, reported the Associated Press.
Joe Biden led the congratulations. “The trailblazing career of Adm Fagan shows young people entering the services, we mean what we say: there are no doors –– no doors –– closed to women,” said the president during a change of command ceremony at coast guard headquarters in Washington DC.
“Now we need to keep working to make sure Adm Fagan may be the first but not the only … We need to see more women at the highest levels of command in the coast guard and across every service.”
Fagan has been second-in-command at the coast guard since June 2021, the first woman to ever earn a four-star rank in the branch, according to a US Coast Guard biography.
Fagan was promoted following the retirement of Adm Karl Schultz, nominated to the top position by Biden in April.
Last month, Fagan was unanimously confirmed to the position by the Senate. Vice Adm Steven Poulin will succeed Fagan as vice commandant after being approved by the Senate.
A 1985 graduate of the coast guard academy, Fagan was a part of only the academy’s sixth class to include women.
Fagan later obtained two graduate degrees, a Master of Science in Marine Affairs from the University of Washington, and a Master in National Resource Strategy degree from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
Across her decades long career, Fagan has served in all seven continents and worked aboard the US Polar Star, a heavy ice breaker ship, as the only woman.
Fagan was also the first recipient of the coast guard’s gold Ancient Trident award in 2016, commemorating her as the longest serving Marine safety officer.
During the ceremony, while speaking on her promotion, Fagan thanked her parents for supporting her career in the armed forces.
“I was 16. I announced my intent to attend the academy, full of righteousness as only a 16-year-old can be. And like all good parents, they said, ‘Oh, she’ll outgrow it,’ ” said Fagan as the ceremony’s guests laughed.
“I did not,” added Fagan.
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