Admiral Linda Fagan
Vice Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard
Linda Lee Fagan was born in July 1963 in Columbus, Ohio. She graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy with a degree in marine science. She later earned an MS from the University of Washington and an MA in international security from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at the National Defense University.
She has served as commander, First Coast Guard District, and commander, Coast Guard Sector New York. She was the commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area.
In April 2021, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced her nomination as the Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard. She was confirmed and assumed service in June 2021.
She is widowed of John J. Fagan.
In the News…
All active-duty U.S. Coast Guard members have been encouraged to get involved with diversity activities “to help support the actions needed to improve our service,” after a new report found challenges in the recruitment and accession of under-represented minorities and concerns among surveyed women and minorities about the service’s culture.
In its summary, the report said, “The most common leadership-related theme was a lack of transparency, speed, or forcefulness in senior leadership’s actions to combat discrimination.” It said the Coast Guard “needs to take much more decisive action to meet executive and congressional branch demands to improve diversity top-to-bottom.”
“Breaking down barriers to recruiting and retention by creating a more inclusive workplace is an all-hands-on-deck effort,” said the deputy commandant for Mission Support, who added that unlawful discrimination, disparate treatment, and conscious or unconscious bias “are inconsistent with our core values, and have no place in the Coast Guard.”
Admiral Linda Fagan is the first female vice commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and its first female four-star admiral. With 36 years of service, she is the longest-serving active-duty Marine Safety Officer. As a trailblazer in the minority ranks of women, she is expected to be an inspiration to many.
