Hours after President Donald Trump called for a society that is “merit-based” in his inaugural address, he fired the first woman to head a military service in American history. Four-star Coast Guard Adm. Linda Fagan was waiting to have a photo taken with the new president the same night she learned she was being dismissed, according to The New York Times.
What remarkable hypocrisy. Her 36-year rise through the ranks, including significant milestones in Seattle, is the very definition of meritorious. Her dismissal came as a shock to the Coast Guard, including at its 11 stations in Washington.
Trump’s decision to fire Fagan was political, vengeful and should in no way reflect her decorated career. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, a member of a House subcommittee on the Coast Guard and maritime transportation, called the decision to fire Fagan “reckless” and one that “will hurt readiness.” That includes in Seattle — a growing base of strategic importance that includes nearly 1,300 active duty, civilians and reservists.
The list of those fired by Trump from federal service grows longer by the day: Jan. 6 prosecutors in the Justice Department; independent federal watchdogs known as Inspectors General; Democratic commissioners of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and National Labor Relations Board. But even under the guise of creating a government with bow-down fealty to the president, Fagan’s unprecedented firing was, as Sen. Maria Cantwell rightly called it, “appalling.”
Puget Sound has a special place in Fagan’s heart. She served as a marine inspector here and earned her master’s degree at the University of Washington. More recently as commandant she was overseeing Seattle’s planned base expansion, where an expanded fleet of icebreakers will eventually replace two aging ones.
Trump’s administration tried to assign blame to Fagan for shortcomings and scandals that were in actuality challenges she addressed at full speed. Her accomplishments included:
● Tackling a shortfall in ranks since 2017 by opening new recruiting offices, creating new ratings to give members greater flexibility in career pursuits and new bonuses for loan repayments and education. The result exceeded 4,200 recruits in 2024, beyond the service’s expectations.
● Taking on new efforts to prevent sexual assault and harassment and to better ensure perpetrators are held accountable, following an investigation known as “Foul Anchor” that exposed a cover-up by the previous commandant of rapes and assaults at the Coast Guard Academy.
● With the country woefully deficient in Arctic vessels than can challenge Russian dominance in the rapidly changing region, Fagan oversaw the purchase of a secondhand commercial vessel that has been converted into the icebreaker CGC Storis.
● Under Fagan’s leadership, the Coast Guard was becoming far more reflective of American society. Women made up about 15% of the service and minorities 30% when she became commandant; today the cadet class is almost 40% women, the highest percentage of the military’s service academies, according to Cantwell’s office. More than 40% of the class of 2025 comes from underrepresented populations.
Fagan’s place in Coast Guard history is secure, regardless of Trump’s attempts to sully it.
“I recognize I am now providing a set of shoulders for those who will come after,” she said in a CBS interview when she became vice commandant in 2021.
No matter what Trump does, you still do, Adm. Fagan.
