The Military: The US Coast Guard
2 Top Admirals
Admiral Linda Fagan: First Woman to ever Head a US Military Branch
On June 1st, 2022, Admiral Linda Fagan made history by becoming the first woman to ever head a branch of the United States Armed Forces.
During the change of command ceremony installing Adm Fagan as Commandant of the Coast Guard, President Joe Biden remarked, “It’s about time.”
Adm Fagan has served on all seven continents during her 37-year Coast Guard career.
The President noted the slow ascent of women into military leadership: “The secretary of defense, when he sent me the name, I said, ‘What in the hell took you so long?’” Biden said in jest.
“With a trailblazing career, Adm. Fagan shows that, young people entering the service, we mean what we say: There are no doors closed to women,” the president continued.
[Though moved under Department of Homeland Security in 2003, The Coast Guard is still considered one of the eight uniformed services under Title 10 of the U.S. Code.]
Women in the Coast Guard since 2000
Historically, women have held several leadership positions in the U.S. Coast Guard, even as retention of female officers has been an ongoing concern.
In 2000, Vice Admiral Vivien Crea achieved flag rank, becoming the first woman to do so. Vice Adm Crea was promoted to Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard in 2006, and, while she served as acting commandant, was the first woman in US history to oversee a branch of the military. In 2009, Jody Breckenridge became Vice Admiral, in command of the Coast Guard’s Pacific Area, and Sally Brice-O’Hara became the Coast Guard’s second female vice commandant in 2010. Vice Adm Sandra Stosz is the deputy commandant for mission support and the first woman to command a US military academy.
Retention Rates of Female Officers in the Coast Guard better than other Military Branches, but gaps exist – Lessons for the US Military
Despite these gains, women are just 5,800 of the 40,000 active-duty service members of the Coast Guard – just 15%. The first woman joined the Coast Guard in 1918, following the women who served as lighthouse keepers and water rescuers as early as 1776.
The Coast Guard has a better retention rate of both female officers and enlisted members than do the other branches of the US military services, but substantial gaps still exist, according to the Coast Guard’s Human Capital Strategy and its Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan 2015–2018, developed by the non-profit RAND Corporation.
The gender gap among active-duty commissioned officers is greatest at both ten years and 19 years of service, and the gender gap is even greater among enlisted members and warrant officers at these same check points. At 25 years of service, the Coast Guard has retained 23% of male officers and just 15% of female officers.
Among the conclusions are that women face both “push” factors (such as reduced promotions and upward opportunities) and “pull” factors (how to balance Coast Guard service with family and life concerns), both in the Coast Guard and in civilian occupations.
In addition, focus groups of women at ten key Coast Guard bases and headquarters named a number of key reasons why women drop off the leadership track:
Poor leadership. lack of mentorship, leaders ignored or didn’t implement female-specific policies (even when such policies existed)
Gender bias. Women treated differently than their male counterparts, women needed to work twice as hard to prove themselves, men did not trust or value their work, exclusion from ‘old boys’ club’ culture, inappropriate comments and a culture of silence, lack of camaraderie. Relatedly, women who did interact closely with male peers were often subject to the rumor mill of being sexual with these same peers.
Weight standards, especially after childbirth. Women reject the ‘taping process’ to measure body fat, and that weight standards are often not necessary for job ability.
Sexual harassment and Sexual Assault. This was heightened in remote units, units with only one or two women, and being “assaulted while underway.” Women in focus groups reported that sexual harassment and assault, can cause women to leave the Coast Guard.
Advancement and Assignment opportunities for women lag behind those of men. Women also mentioned that assignments to remote locations, or those far from family, or without other women, can drive women out of the Coast Guard.
Family issues. Women describe a chaotic family environment, with frequent moves affecting spouses’ employment, or those in dual-military careers being assigned to different locations. (Note: 52% of Coast Guard women who are married have a spouse who is also in the armed services, compared to just 7% of Coast Guard men who are in dual-military marriages). Concerns for children subjected to the overnight watches, extended deployments and frequent transfers of their mothers was also a key concern, especially when the other parent is also active duty, often with competing schedules, and with lack of access to appropriate childcare. Men in these focus groups often mentioned their wives as handling child care, and that their children did not factor into their decisions to remain in the Coast Guard.
Pregnancy & breastfeeding. Women mentioned a lack of support, difficulty in timing pregnancies or delaying starting a family due to necessary promotion timelines, accusations of getting pregnant to avoid certain duties or assignments, and stigma about taking parental leave. Finally, women identified a reluctance on the part of commanding officers to provide breaks and facilities for pumping breast milk.
Relationship issues. Women, though not men, mentioned needing to care for aging parents, difficulty developing female friendships or having a support network, and that frequent moves and underway assignments made dating difficult. Women are less likely than their male counterparts to be married or have children while in the Coast Guard.
Differing occupations. Women tend to occupy roles that have lower retention rates; namely service or support, followed by operational and engineering roles. Male officers are 3X more likely to be pilots than female officers, and pilots have the highest retention rates. Male officers are more likely to afloat, which has higher retention rates than those ashore.
What will it take for women to get into the Power Percentage of Officers and Leaders of the United States Coast Guard?