U.S. armed forces.In a change of command ceremony in Washington, D.C., attended by President Joe Biden, Fagan relieved Adm. Karl Schultz as commandant of the Coast Guard.
Fagan had served as the vice commandant since June 2021. After the change of command, Schultz retired after 39 years of service.In a speech, Biden praised Fagan for her "outstanding leadership and accomplishment.""The trailblazing career of Admiral Fagan shows young people entering the services, we mean what we say: There are no doors — no doors — closed to women," Biden told around 2,000 cheering guests at Coast Guard headquarters. "Now we need to keep working to make sure Admiral Fagan may be the first but not the only person.
We need to see more women at the highest levels of command in the Coast Guard and across every service in the armed forces."The president praised the admiral for opening doors and giving other women "following behind you a way through.""We need to ensure women have an opportunity to succeed and thrive throughout their professional careers," Biden said. "And that means providing support and resources so women can compete fairly and fully for promotions and make sure women are not penalized in their career for having children."I'm proud to be a part of this long history of service, dedication, and groundbreaking, and I'm committed to carrying these principles forward.Adm.
Linda Fagan, left, relieves Adm. Karl Schultz as commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard as President Joe Biden looks on at a change of command ceremony in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, June 1, 2022. (U.S.