Karl L. Schultz

Karl Leo Schultz is a United States Coast Guard admiral and the 26th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Early life and education
Schultz is a native of East Hartford, Connecticut. He graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. He received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Connecticut in 1992, and in 2006 he completed a one year National Security Fellowship at the Kennedy School of Government.

U.S. Coast Guard
Schultz's operational assignments include Commander, Coast Guard Sector Miami as well as command tours aboard cutters USCGC Venturous (WMEC-625), USCGC Acacia (WLB-406), and USCGC Farallon (WPB-1301). Staff assignments include Chief of the Office of Congressional and Governmental Affairs; Congressional Liaison Officer to the U.S. House of Representatives; Liaison Officer to the United States Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs; Assignment Officer at the Coast Guard Personnel Command, and Command Duty Officer in the Seventh Coast Guard District Operations Center in Miami.

Schultz has served as Director of Operations (J3), U.S. Southern Command in Doral, Florida where he directed joint service military operations across the Caribbean Basin, Central and South America. Prior flag officer assignments were Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District where he was responsible for multi-mission operations from California to Peru, and Director of Governmental and Public Affairs at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for external engagement with Congress, the media, and inter-governmental entities.

Schultz assumed the duties as Commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area in August 2016. As commander, Schultz oversaw Coast Guard rescue and recovery efforts for hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate in 2017.

Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard
On 8 March 2018, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced that U.S. President Donald Trump intended to nominate Schultz for the position of Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, succeeding Admiral Paul F. Zukunft. His nomination and promotion to admiral was confirmed by a voice vote of the U.S. Senate on 9 May 2018. Schultz relieved Admiral Zukunft on 1 June 2018.