The US Coast Guard's longest-serving marine safety officer has been tapped as the agency's first female head.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday nominated Admiral Linda Fagan to the post of Coast Guard commandant.
Should she be confirmed, she would be the 27th person to hold the position.
“Admiral Fagan is an exceptional senior Coast Guard officer and nominee, possessing the keen intellect, the depth of operational experience and the well-honed leadership and managerial acumen to serve with distinction as our service’s 27th commandant,” said Admiral Karl Schultz, the outgoing commandant.
In her 36 years in the Coast Guard, Fagan has worked on all seven continents, spent 15 years as marine inspector and served as commander of Sector New York.
In 2017, she was awarded the first Gold Ancient Trident award as the longest-serving Coast Guard marine safety officer.
Fagan currently serves as the commander of the Pacific area, overseeing the Coast Guard's operations from the Rocky Mountains west to Africa's Indian Ocean coast.
In that role, she also serves as commander for Defense Force West providing Coast Guard support to Department of Defense and combatant commanders.
She is expected to take over from Schultz, who is retiring, at a ceremony on 1 June in Washington DC.
After confirmation, vice admiral Steven Poulin will take Fagan’s previous position as vice commandant.
Poulin currently serves as commander of the Atlantic area, responsible for Coast Guard operations from the Rocky Mountains east to the Atlantic coast of Africa.
