INTERMEDIATE: The commander of the US Coast Guard has been terminated due to concerns over the border, recruitment and “deterioration of trust,” a DHS official confirmed to Fox News.
Adm. Linda Lee Fagan, 61, was dismissed by acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamin Huffman, the official said.
Fagan has demonstrated leadership deficiencies, operational failures and an inability to advance the Coast Guard’s strategic goals.
These include a failure to address border security threats, inadequate leadership in recruitment and retention, mismanagement in the procurement of critical assets such as icebreakers and helicopters, an over-focus on diversity, equity and inclusion programs and an “erosion of trust” over mismanagement and cover-ups at the top of Operation Fouled Anchor, which was an internal investigation by the Coast Guard into allegations of sexual misconduct in the Coast Guard. School.
RETIRED COAST HELICOPTER COMMANDER ACCIDENT DETAILS AIRCRAFT FIGHTING FIRE
Adm. Linda Fagan. (US Coast Guard)
Fagan has been accused of underperforming Coast Guard assets to support national border security, including interdiction of fentanyl and other illegal substances. He also had insufficient communication with DHS to prioritize operations at maritime borders.
A DHS official said Fagan had a major failure in hiring, which exacerbated problems related to work readiness. The official added that the lack of new strategies to deal with job retention struggles in specialized areas has weakened the resilience of the workforce.
Under his leadership, there have also been ongoing delays and cost increases in acquiring key platforms, including icebreakers and helicopters, which the official said undermined the Coast Guard’s capabilities in the Arctic and other strategic areas. The official also expressed insufficient accountability for the procurement failures highlighted during President Trump’s first administration.
Fagan also prioritized DEI policies, including the Coast Guard Academy, which diverted resources and focused on operational priorities.
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Adm. Linda Fagan attends the US Coast Guard (USCG) transition ceremony at USCG headquarters in Washington, DC, on June 1, 2022. (Getty Images)
In Operation Fouled Anchor, the cover-up of sexual abuse at the US Coast Guard Academy “severely eroded trust” in the Coast Guard among the American public, the US Congress and the military. The Coast Guard did not disclose the existence of Operation Fouled Anchor until 2023, despite its existence from 2014 to 2019.
Fagan was honored by senators over the summer when he testified at a hearing on Capitol Hill, where he was asked whether he was impeaching anyone for covering up and withholding additional documents requested by congressional lawyers about the mishandling of the crisis at the service school.
The official said the failure to address systemic problems revealed by the investigation highlighted a “leadership culture” unwilling to ensure accountability and transparency in protecting service members.
Adm. Linda Fagan speaks during the Subcommittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs’ Investigative Hearing on Capitol Hill on June 11, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
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Fagan served as the 27th Commandant of the Coast Guard effective June 1, 2022. He was tasked with overseeing all global Coast Guard operations and 42,000 active, 7,000 reserve and 8,700 civilian personnel, as well as 21,000 Coast Support Guard Auxiliary. volunteers.
She was the first woman to lead the Coast Guard or any branch of the US military.
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