WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen released the following statement on President Donald J. Trump’s nomination of Vice Admiral Karl L. Schultz to be the 26th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.

“I’m pleased that President Trump has nominated Vice Admiral Karl L. Schultz to be the next Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. Vice Admiral Schultz has over 35 years of Coast Guard leadership experience, and I have complete confidence in his ability to lead the men and women of the Coast Guard with honor and integrity. Vice Admiral Schultz has exemplified the selfless service that defines the U.S. Coast Guard throughout his remarkable career, and I look forward to working closely with him in this new role.”

In his current role as Commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area, Vice Admiral Schultz serves as the operational commander for all Coast Guard missions from the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf, spanning across five Coast Guard Districts and 40 states. In addition to his duties at Atlantic Area, he serves as Commander, Defense Force East, and provides Coast Guard mission support to the Department of Defense and Combatant Commanders. He also serves as Director, DHS Joint Task Force East, responsible for achieving the objectives of the DHS Southern Border, including addressing threats posed by transnational criminal organizations. Vice Admiral Schultz also has extensive experience coordinating and collaborating across DHS agencies and with the Department of Defense.

Vice Admiral Schultz has selected and President Trump has nominated Vice Admiral Charles W. Ray to serve as his Vice Commandant. Vice Admiral Ray currently serves as the Coast Guard Deputy Commandant for Operations, where he is responsible for the development of operational strategy, policy, guidance, and resources that address national priorities. He previously served as the Pacific Area Commander. Prior to that, he held Flag Assignments as the Deputy Pacific Area Commander, the Fourteenth Coast Guard District Commander, service with U.S. Forces Iraq as Director of the Iraq Training and Advisory Mission for the Ministry of Interior, and as the Military Advisor to the Secretary of the Department Homeland Security.

# # #