Biden to nominate Coast Guard's first woman four-star admiral

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Maria Arias
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President Biden will nominate Coast Guard Vice Adm. Linda Fagan for vice commandant, which would make her the first female four-star admiral in Coast Guard history, the White House announced Monday.

Why it matters: On the campaign trail in 2019, both Biden and then-candidate Kamala Harris signed a pledge to ensure at least 50%of their national security Senate-confirmed positions would be women, according to Defense News.

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  • Since taking office, President Biden has already nominated several women for top Pentagon positions, including Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.

  • Biden last week announced plans to nominate six more women for key national security and law enforcement posts. One of them is Christine Wormuth, who would be the first female secretary of the Army if confirmed.

Background: Fagan, currently the Coast Guard commander for the Pacific Area, has served on all seven continents, according to her bio. If confirmed, she would replace Adm. Charles Ray as the Coast Guard's No. 2 officer.

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