Hours after President Donald Trump referred to as for a society that’s “merit-based” in his inaugural tackle, he fired the primary lady to go a navy service in American historical past. 4-star Coast Guard Adm. Linda Fagan was waiting to have a photograph taken with the brand new president the identical night time she discovered she was being dismissed, based on The New York Occasions.
What exceptional hypocrisy. Her 36-year rise by means of the ranks, together with important milestones in Seattle, is the very definition of meritorious. Her dismissal got here as a shock to the Coast Guard, together with at its 11 stations in Washington.
Trump’s determination to fireplace Fagan was political, vengeful and will under no circumstances replicate her adorned profession. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, a member of a Home subcommittee on the Coast Guard and maritime transportation, referred to as the choice to fireplace Fagan “reckless” and one which “will harm readiness.” That features in Seattle — a rising base of strategic significance that features almost 1,300 energetic obligation, civilians and reservists.
The listing of these fired by Trump from federal service grows longer by the day: Jan. 6 prosecutors within the Justice Division; impartial federal watchdogs often known as Inspectors Basic; Democratic commissioners of the U.S. Equal Employment Alternative Fee and Nationwide Labor Relations Board. However even underneath the guise of making a authorities with bow-down fealty to the president, Fagan’s unprecedented firing was, as Sen. Maria Cantwell rightly referred to as it, “appalling.”
Puget Sound has a particular place in Fagan’s coronary heart. She served as a marine inspector right here and earned her grasp’s diploma on the College of Washington. Extra not too long ago as commandant she was overseeing Seattle’s planned base expansion, the place an expanded fleet of icebreakers will ultimately change two growing old ones.
Trump’s administration tried to assign blame to Fagan for shortcomings and scandals that had been surely challenges she addressed at full velocity. Her accomplishments included:
● Tackling a shortfall in ranks since 2017 by opening new recruiting workplaces, creating new scores to offer members higher flexibility in profession pursuits and new bonuses for mortgage repayments and schooling. The consequence exceeded 4,200 recruits in 2024, past the service’s expectations.
● Taking over new efforts to forestall sexual assault and harassment and to raised guarantee perpetrators are held accountable, following an investigation often known as “Foul Anchor” that uncovered a cover-up by the earlier commandant of rapes and assaults on the Coast Guard Academy.
● With the nation woefully poor in Arctic vessels than can problem Russian dominance within the quickly altering area, Fagan oversaw the acquisition of a secondhand business vessel that has been transformed into the icebreaker CGC Storis.
● Underneath Fagan’s management, the Coast Guard was turning into way more reflective of American society. Ladies made up about 15% of the service and minorities 30% when she grew to become commandant; at present the cadet class is sort of 40% ladies, the very best proportion of the navy’s service academies, based on Cantwell’s workplace. Greater than 40% of the category of 2025 comes from underrepresented populations.
Fagan’s place in Coast Guard historical past is safe, no matter Trump’s makes an attempt to sully it.
“I acknowledge I’m now offering a set of shoulders for many who will come after,” she mentioned in a CBS interview when she grew to become vice commandant in 2021.
It doesn’t matter what Trump does, you continue to do, Adm. Fagan.
