Sexual misconduct at Coast Guard is a fleet-wide problem, congressional probe finds

Coast Guard’s cultural failings around sexual misconduct are not limited to the service’s academy but extend to the entire service, a congressional probe has found.

Nearly a year ago, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subpanel on investigations opened an inquiry into the Coast Guard’s mishandling of sexual assault and harassment cases at its prestigious Coast Guard Academy and the service’s failure to disclose those cases to Congress. The Coast Guard’s own investigation of sexual misconduct, dubbed Operation Fouled Anchor, concluded in 2020, but Congress didn’t learn about the operation until 2023.

Since the launch of the congressional inquiry last year, more than 80 current and former Coast Guard Academy cadets, as well as enlisted members, have come forward to the Subcommittee to share their experiences.

And while the subpanel’s focus has been on the Coast Guard’s mishandling of Operation Fouled Anchor, Senators have found that many whistleblowers that came forward during the investigation were never a part of the operation and never reported their cases to the academy or Coast Guard.

Of the Coast Guard Academy whistleblowers, at least 72% were not a part of the Operation Fouled Anchor investigation. At least 14 of the unreported sexual assault cases occurred while the whistleblowers were at the Coast Guard Academy, and 10 of these unreported assault cases took place while on active duty.

“This Subcommittee’s investigation has revealed an even deeper decay. The scourge of sexual assault and harassment is not a past problem. It is not limited to the academy. It is persistent and pervasive, affecting not only the Coast Guard Academy, but also the ranks of active duty personnel around the globe,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who leads the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subpanel on investigations, said during the field hearing on Aug. 8 in New London, Connecticut.

A ‘pervasive problem’ of assault

A report titled “A Pervasive Problem: Voices of Coast Guard Sexual Assault and Harassment Survivors,” released ahead of the hearing, said for decades the Coast Guard has failed to address or prevent sexual assault and harassment and cultivated a culture of “silencing, retaliation and failed accountability.”

“Right after we began the [investigation], we heard from a legion of whistleblowers, past and present, men and women from across the Coast Guard, cadets, officers and enlisted with service spanning more than five decades,” Blumenthal said. “The report that we issued elevates statements from those individuals who bravely came forward to share their experiences with this subcommittee.”

During the hearing, which was held at Connecticut College, right near the Coast Guard Academy, five active and former Coast Guard members recounted their experiences as victims of sexual harassment and assault.

“My journey began with excitement and purpose as I reported to my first assignment aboard the Coast Guard Cutter. At just 19 years old, I was eager and ready to serve my country. However, the reality of life on board was starkly different from what I had expected,” Chief Warrant Officer 4 Julian Bell, one of the witnesses, said during the hearing.

“Violence, inappropriate relationships and assault became the unsettling norms amongst my shipmates. In 2004, during a harrowing incident at the Navy barracks, I was drugged and raped by a fellow Coast Guard shipmate and two Navy sailors. After that traumatic experience, I felt isolated and alone.”

Bell came forward over a decade later, but his assailant was believed and the investigation was closed in a matter of months.

Following the hearing, the Coast Guard released a statement saying, “We heard heartbreaking testimony from victims and survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment. The Coast Guard commends the courage of those who testified and their desire to make the Coast Guard better.”

“Their experiences are helping us to shape policies and actions to prevent sexual misconduct and ensure effective victim support and accountability.”

The report is the first in a series of investigations into the Guard’s mishandling of sexual misconduct cases. The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General are conducting their own probe.

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan directed the accountability and transparency review following the lawmakers’ probe into Fouled Anchor to assess the Coast Guard’s culture and policies. She directed 33 initial actions focused on strengthening the Coast Guard’s culture. The Guard has completed 18 of those actions to date.

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