Vice Adm. Karl L. Schultz, commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area, speaks at the Coast Guard Cutter Benjamin Dailey commissioning ceremony in Pascagoula, Mississippi, July 4, 2017. (USCG photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis Magee)

Vice Admiral Karl Schultz has been named as the 26th commandant and highest ranking leader of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). The announcement was made by Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen Thursday, Mar. 8.

Schultz will replace current USCG Commandant Admiral Paul Zukunft, who has completed his four-year tenure, on June 1, 2018. Schultz is currently the commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area, commander of Defense Force East, and serves as director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Joint Task Force East.