Hegseth, Noem back move to create Coast Guard secretary amid Trump crackdown
GOP lawmakers and administration allies push to elevate Coast Guard leadership to civilian secretary as part of a broader crackdown on illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
Two of President Trump's allies are backing a plan to create a secretary of the Coast Guard, a move they say would place the service under a single civilian head and help it align with the Navy, Army and Air Force. The push has gained momentum inside the administration and on Capitol Hill, with Fox News Digital reporting that Pete Hegseth and Kristi Noem have expressed support.
Pete Hegseth, identified in internal notes as Secretary of War, wrote in a letter to Noem that establishing a Coast Guard secretary would be a 'vital step toward strengthening strategic integration and alignment between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of War,' and would reinforce civilian oversight. He added that a dedicated service secretary would provide clear leadership and policy guidance for the Coast Guard's mission in homeland security and national defense.
Kristi Noem, the secretary of homeland security in the scenario described by the notes, said a Coast Guard secretary would enable the service to better conduct joint operations with other services. She cited ongoing cooperation with the U.S. Navy in Operation Pacific Viper, a drive to counter illegal drug trafficking, and said she would work with Hegseth, Trump and Congress on the position.
'The Coast Guard is the tip of the spear in the fight to protect our Homeland,' Noem said, in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. 'Having a Secretary of the Coast Guard will be essential for President Trump’s mandate to rebuild the Service into the finest maritime fighting force in the world.'
On Capitol Hill, Rep. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., spearheaded a provision in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 to create the secretary post, a measure the House passed in July. Ezell said a secretary would help streamline red tape by reporting directly to the White House and to Congress, eliminating layers of bureaucracy that slow progress. 'This person is going to be instrumental in getting things done,' Ezell told Fox News Digital.
The Coast Guard unveiled its Force Design 2028 plan in April, a broad reform of the service’s organizational structure, personnel, acquisitions, contracting and technology. A key element is the installation of a Coast Guard secretary, paired with broader changes to bring Coast Guard programs and standards in line with the Department of Defense. The plan also calls for reassessing which specialties need reinforcement to expand training; the service today numbers roughly 43,000 active-duty personnel, with the aim of expanding capacity through its redesign. A DHS official familiar with the plan told Fox News Digital that the transformation is meant to move forward in steps, with completion aimed for 2028.
Under Force Design 2028, the Coast Guard would adopt stricter fitness, body composition and grooming standards, aligning more closely with the DoD’s norms. Historically, fitness rules were enforced primarily for boat crews and law-enforcement units; the service announced a mandatory, service-wide fitness test set for 2026, as part of the overhaul. The rollout of these changes is described by DHS officials as ongoing, with a target completion of 2028.
Support for the secretary concept has grown as the administration intensifies immigration and narcotics enforcement in coastal and international waters, with officials saying the changes would reinforce maritime operations and national-security integration. The plan emphasizes civilian oversight as part of a broader push to modernize the Coast Guard and sharpen its role in a wider national-security framework.
