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Trump Administration Wants Coast Guard to Have its Own Service Secretary

Noem
U.S. Coast Guard headquarters, Washington, D.C. (USCG file image)

Published May 21, 2025 3:34 PM by The Maritime Executive


Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has signed off on a revamp of the U.S. Coast Guard's management structure, starting with a long-discussed plan to hire a service secretary for USCG headquarters. The U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force all have civilian service secretaries appointed by the White House; the Coast Guard - part of the U.S. armed forces by statute, but housed within the Department of Homeland Security - lacks a secretary of its own, and is led by a uniformed officer. 

"Now, more than ever, the American people need a strong and capable Coast Guard," said Noem in a statement. "The Coast Guard must not simply evolve. It must revolutionize how it functions and operates to ensure decisive advantage over adversaries. This requires a fundamental change."

The service's strategic plan, Force Design 2028, would fundamentally change its organizational structure. A new service secretary - reporting to Noem - would be accountable for decisionmaking, oversight and procurement, much like the Secretary of the Navy. This would require legislation, and a bill has been introduced by oversight committee leaders in the House. 

The plan also envisions a leaner headquarters operation with a "more agile and strategically focused" design. New program executive offices (PEOs, a familiar Navy construct) would take a "systems-focused approach to acquisitions and sustainment." In contracting, the service secretary would have final authority over acquisitions, and the Coast Guard would take a more disciplined approach to the requirements process - a key driver of cost increases and delays in shipbuilding programs. 

A previous memo from Homeland Security instructed the Coast Guard to reduce the ranks of its flag officers by one-quarter, or about 12 positions. Noem also reportedly canceled all six planned promotions for new one-star admirals proposed for this year. 

The new force design plan also calls for areas of significant investment and expansion. It would attempt to fill the service's manpower gap with new incentives and policies for recruitment, aiming to grow its military workforce by 15,000 members by the end of FY2028. 

The plan also calls for strengthening Coast Guard Cyber Command. Within the same department, Homeland Security's own Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency - tasked with the same mission set for all nationwide enterprises - faces a proposed $490 million budget cut in FY2026 (along with undisclosed personnel reductions). 

The Force Design 2028 plan also calls for investment in "Coastal Sentinel," an AI-driven sensor network to detect threats; new IT systems for vessel registration, mariner credentialing and HR functions; and a rapid-adoption team to pick up new technology faster. 

Noem also confirmed that acting commandant Adm. Kevin E. Lunday will be nominated for Senate confirmation as the 28th commandant of the Coast Guard. He will continue in his acting capacity until confirmed. 

“Now is the time for fundamental change," said Lunday. "Secretary Noem has said that we must reinvigorate the Coast Guard or risk strategic failure. I am honored to lead our Coast Guard men and women in this historic effort to renew the service for the future.”