WASHINGTON, DC: In a damning expose that has sent shockwaves through the United States military and beyond, a recent investigation has unveiled a disturbing cover-up surrounding a deeply troubling investigation into rapes and sexual assaults at the US Coast Guard Academy.
The report exposes how Commandant Karl L Schultz, the then-leader of the US Coast Guard, deliberately concealed the startling findings of the investigation despite earlier pledges to bring the matter to light. The probe, which was codenamed "Operation Fouled Anchor", unearthed a chilling history of sexual misconduct at the revered academy, spanning from the late 1980s to 2006.
What is Operation Fouled Anchor?
The explosive revelations were brought to the forefront by CNN, which initially reported the existence of Operation Fouled Anchor in late June. Internal documents scrutinized by the network provided a troubling insight into the decision-making process within the Coast Guard's upper echelons.
Despite internal records indicating that individuals involved in the investigation had mapped out plans to brief Congress and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials, Schultz and his second-in-command, Admiral Charles W Ray, opted to withhold the report's disconcerting outcomes.
One internal memo obtained by CNN underscored the gravity of the situation, stating that Fouled Anchor's findings should be "required reading for current and future Academy leadership teams." Another memo outlined plans for briefing DHS in October 2018, with a subsequent "Hill brief" scheduled just weeks later.
Schultz's predecessor Admiral Paul Zukunft confirmed his intentions to not only share the investigation's results with Congress and DHS but also to publicly apologize to the victims identified in the investigation. However, these intentions were curtailed upon Schultz's assumption of leadership.
Lawmakers have voiced vehement concerns over the suppression of such critical information. In a strongly-worded letter addressed to the Coast Guard, Senators Maria Cantwell of Washington state and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin conveyed their distress, stating that the committee was "concerned about the Coast Guard’s failure to disclose its investigation… the withholding of which some have described as intentional." The senators contended that the law required a certain level of disclosure regarding such matters.
Victims speak out
The secrecy shrouding the investigation shielded the Coast Guard from heightened scrutiny regarding the lack of accountability for alleged rapists and other assailants within the academy. In the aftermath of CNN's revelations and the ensuing congressional outrage, additional victims emerged from the shadows, recounting their own traumatic experiences of assault as cadets at the academy.
These victims, some of whom had attended the academy in recent years, detailed how the assaults had profoundly impacted their mental well-being, personal relationships, and career trajectories, while some of their attackers went on to achieve illustrious careers within the Coast Guard and other military branches.
During the course of Operation Fouled Anchor, the Coast Guard's leadership went to great lengths to keep the investigation concealed. Insiders with access to case materials were compelled to sign non-disclosure agreements, underscoring the determination to prevent any leaks regarding the investigation. It wasn't until CNN's investigation thrust Operation Fouled Anchor into the public eye that Coast Guard leadership officially briefed Congress on the extent of the scandal.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut where the academy is situated, expressed vehement condemnation for the suppression of the report. He labeled it as "probably the most shameful, disgraceful incident of a cover-up of sexual assault that I have seen in the United States military ever."
A congressional aide, well-versed in the investigation's details, offered insights into Schultz and Ray's motivations for withholding the information. The aide speculated that the leadership duo made a "political calculation" to avoid controversy under their tenure. "They knew. They read it. They signed off on it," the aide revealed. "It seems like the most logical reason is that they didn’t want to have controversy under their leadership."
Notably, former Homeland Security acting secretary Chad Wolf, who was in charge when the investigation's final report was issued in January 2020, claimed no recollection of being briefed on the matter. Similarly, Ken Cuccinelli, his deputy at the time, also stated a lack of awareness regarding the investigation.
Sources familiar with the issue, however, emphasized that given the magnitude and scope of the investigation, leadership within the agency would have anticipated being briefed.
A new dawn of transparency
The current commandant, Linda Fagan, succeeded Schultz following his retirement in the previous year. Fagan, who has since apologized to the victims of sexual assault, pledged to adopt a more transparent approach to addressing the agency's issues.
"Just like on a ship when you have rust, we’ve got pockets of rust that need to be eliminated from the organization," she acknowledged during a congressional subcommittee hearing.
Fagan revealed that her understanding of the full extent of Operation Fouled Anchor's findings only became clear after CNN's report. Subsequently, the agency initiated efforts to brief Congress on the matter.
The agency clarified that Fagan was not part of the senior leadership group that oversaw the closure of the operation, nor was she consulted on matters of disclosure, either within or outside the Coast Guard.
While she was not initially briefed on the operation when she assumed her role as commandant in 2022, Fagan acknowledged being informed about the investigation when she had to temporarily relieve an individual from her command due to their involvement.
Shockingly, Fagan is not the sole current Coast Guard official with some level of awareness of the covert operation. The investigation revealed that several individuals deeply involved in Operation Fouled Anchor continue to serve within the agency. Furthermore, some retirees, who left in recent years, still receive pension benefits and have risen to influential positions elsewhere, including one individual leading a university.
Notably, Admiral Charles W Ray, who retired as vice commandant in 2021, now holds a position at the academy's Loy Institute for Leadership. This institution aims to foster leaders who embody the principles of truth, ethical decision-making, and courageous action. Ray's involvement in the academy's leadership endeavors raises questions about the depth of his engagement in cultivating these values, especially in light of the investigation's findings.
'We can’t just sweep it under the carpet'
Admiral Paul Zukunft, who initiated Operation Fouled Anchor in 2014, underscored the importance of the investigation due to the "betrayal up the chain of command" that sexual assault victims faced.
Zukunft expressed incredulity at the leadership's failure to brief Congress and make the findings public following the issuance of the final report in January 2020. "At a bare minimum, we owed it to these victims to provide some sense of emotional closure," he insisted, adding, "We can’t just sweep it under the carpet."
Commandant Schultz's silence on the matter contrasts starkly with his public statements regarding sexual assault prevention. In a video from 2018, Schultz unequivocally labeled such crimes as "a direct attack on our people." He even engaged with Coast Guard Academy cadets in 2020 to discuss this pressing issue.
During a 2021 House hearing, Schultz credited congressional oversight for driving improvements in addressing sexual assault and harassment within the Coast Guard. However, conspicuously absent from his discussions was any reference to Operation Fouled Anchor or its damning findings.
