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Disturbing Findings from Hidden Probe at US Coast Guard Academy
Washington , DC – A covert investigation into suspected sexual misconduct at the US Coast Guard Academy, the foundation for the Coast Guard’s upper ranks, brought to light years of unreported sexual assault incidents and their cover-ups by high-ranking officials.
The probe, christened “Operation Fouled Anchor,” has been held confidential by the agency’s top brass for years. These findings were disclosed to Congress members recently after CNN’s inquiries and examination of internal probe documents.
Evidence of Ignored Assaults Dating Back to the Late ’80s
Despite substantial evidence of sexual assaults dating back to the late 1980s, the probe found that most accused individuals weren’t criminally investigated during that period. Incidents were treated as administrative violations, leading to minimal or no punishment at all.
As a consequence, some alleged offenders climbed the ranks within the Coast Guard and other military agencies, while many victims, having reported their assaults, were forced to leave the academy, ending their aspirations of a career in the service.
“This investigation made clear that the [school’s] leadership was more concerned at that time about organizational and [Coast Guard Academy] reputation than about the victims of crimes who were members of our service,” a draft of the Fouled Anchor final report from 2019 said.
The Long-Term Impact on Survivors
Survivors of sexual assault indicated that their experiences at the academy have had a lasting impact on their mental health, personal relationships, and professional lives. Many struggle with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and require long-term medication to cope with the continuing trauma.
“Whose fault is it that he was still in the (Coast Guard) 20 (years) later? If I’m sounding frustrated it is because I am,” Kerry Karwan, a Coast Guard veteran whose allegations were part of the Fouled Anchor probe, wrote in a 2018 letter she sent to Coast Guard leaders and then-President Donald Trump about her alleged assailant.
“I upheld the Coast Guard Corps Values and an individual that assaulted me and other women retired honorably with higher benefits than I did…We are a service that saves people for a living. I’d like to think our own service members are people worth saving,” Karwan wrote.
Questions Raised about the Current Culture
While the investigation served as a historical reckoning, it raises concerns about the current culture at the academy and the wider Coast Guard. Although the agency has partially attributed the inadequate handling of sexual misconduct investigations to outdated perspectives, CNN’s investigation earlier this year showed that the Coast Guard still struggles to hold suspected sexual predators accountable.
Operation Fouled Anchor – Swept Under the Rug?
Operation Fouled Anchor was quietly concluded by agency leaders, some of whom had studied and worked alongside the alleged offenders. Internal records reveal two accused individuals were discreetly encouraged to retire from the Coast Guard. However, nearly 40 cases saw no action due to expired local and federal criminal statutes and the Coast Guard’s loss of jurisdiction over the alleged attackers.
Call for Transparency and Accountability
Senators Maria Cantwell and Tammy Baldwin have written to the Coast Guard, questioning the secrecy surrounding the report and expressing concern over the possibility that substantiated perpetrators could hold security clearances. They’re seeking additional information to help the committee “determine if the Coast Guard complied with the law and to inform potential legislative actions.”
Unraveling a Deep-Seated Culture of Misconduct
Operation Fouled Anchor was initiated in 2014 when an academy graduate claimed that her rape allegations had been uninvestigated and she had been pressured not to pursue the issue. Upon digging into this case, investigators found over 90 potential assaults from the late 1980s to 2006, revealing a deeply embedded culture of misconduct.
Investigation’s Damning Conclusion
Despite the grave findings, Operation Fouled Anchor resulted in no punitive measures for the leaders. The report noted that the academy’s leadership “failed to take sufficient action to ensure a safe environment – particularly for female cadets – and failed to instill a culture intolerant of sexual misconduct.”
The Aftermath
While the operation sought to offer an apology and support to the victims, many expressed disappointment that the probe’s findings did not lead to more substantial action. The enduring trauma left by these assaults and the subsequent handling by authorities still haunts many of the victims to this day.
