Biden to nominate Coast Guard’s first female four-star admiral

President Biden will nominate Coast Guard Vice Adm. Linda Fagan to be the service’s No. 2 officer, the White House announced Monday.

If confirmed as vice commandant, Fagan would be the first woman in the Coast Guard’s history to become a four-star admiral.

“Please join me in celebrating the nomination of Vice Adm. Linda Fagan for Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard,” Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz tweeted.

Please join me in celebrating the nomination of Vice Adm. Linda Fagan for Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. Pending Senate confirmation, Vice Adm. Fagan would serve as the Coast Guard’s 32nd Vice Commandant and would be the Service’s first female four-star admiral. pic.twitter.com/31L5Ige9Dk

— Admiral Karl Schultz (@ComdtUSCG) April 19, 2021

Fagan currently commands the Coast Guard’s Pacific Area, a job she has held since June 2018 and that oversees operations from the Rocky Mountains to the waters off Africa’s east coast, according to her Coast Guard bio.

Prior to that, she was the Coast Guard’s deputy commandant for operations, policy and capabilities. Her resume also includes time as commander of the First Coast Guard District and deputy director of operations for U.S. Northern Command.

If confirmed, Fagan, whose impending nomination was first reported by Defense News, would replace Adm. Charles Ray, who has been the service’s No. 2 since May 2018.

Fagan is the latest woman in defense and national security being elevated by Biden. He previously nominated Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost to lead Transportation Command and Army Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson to helm Southern Command, setting them up to the second and third women to lead combatant commands.

On the civilian side, Biden’s deputy Defense secretary, Kathleen Hicks, is the first Senate-confirmed woman in the job, and last week, the White House announced Biden was nominating Christine Wormuth to be the first female Army secretary.