Seattle Times Staff Reporter Admiral Linda Fagan, who was appointed Tuesday by President Joe Biden to lead the Coast Guard, is a graduate of the University of Washington who also spent time serving the Seattle-based icebreaker Polar Star. Fagan, if confirmed by the Senate, will be the first woman to lead any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, according to Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington. “From the beginning of her career as a deck surveillance officer at the Seattle-based icebreaker Polar Star, Admiral Fagan has shown strong leadership and a strong commitment to service that make her an excellent choice,” Cantwell said in a statement Tuesday. Fagan graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1985 and earned a Master of Science in Maritime Affairs from the University of Washington in 2000, according to Cantwell. During her career in the Coast Guard, Fagan gained extensive experience in maritime safety, Interior Ministry Secretary Alejandro Mallorca said in a statement on Tuesday. Over the years, maritime safety has been a major issue in the North Pacific, where crab dives in the Bering Sea and other accidents have repeatedly sparked the Coast Guard’s Research Council. These surveys lead to recommendations for improving the safety of the fishing industry, which managers have the power to accept or reject or from time to time approve legislative changes to shipping laws. The Coast Guard has also been accused several times by security supporters of slow-moving regulations passed by Congress. Fagan will also lead the Coast Guard, which has launched a major modernization effort that includes the construction of new icebreakers and other ships for the fleet. In Seattle, the Coast Guard has proposed a renovation and expansion of its offshore base that will house three new Polar Security cutters. Cantwell, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee with jurisdiction over the Coast Guard, is concerned about recruiting and retaining women in the Coast Guard as they struggle to balance careers and families. She said she hoped Fagan, who is a mother, would inspire other women to serve “at the highest level in the Armed Forces”. Since last year, Fagan has been serving as the Coast Guard’s number two deputy commander. Fagan, if approved by the Senate, will succeed Admiral Carl Schultz, who will step down as commander later this spring.
