Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday held a mandatory meeting with all nearly 900 recruits and staff at Training Center Cape May about the recent discovery of a swastika on the premises. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
The U.S. Coast Guard has launched an internal investigation into a hand-drawn swastika found at a training facility in New Jersey, officials said.
The swastika, a symbol of hate and White supremacy used by Nazi Germany, was discovered drawn on a bathroom wall in a building at Training Center Cape May, a Coast Guard spokesperson told UPI in an emailed statement, explaining that the swastika has been removed.
“The Coast Guard has always unequivocally condemned and punished the display of hate symbols or imagery associated with intimidation, hatred or oppression,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the Coast Guard has referred the matter to its investigative services, consistent with the service’s policies on such issues.
The image was found by a Coast Guard instructor Thursday evening, unidentified sources told The Washington Post, which was the first to report on the discovery.
After it was found, Adm. Kevin Lunday, the Coast Guard commandant, traveled to Training Center Cape May and held a mandatory meeting for all nearly 900 recruits and staff to “address the incident directly, reinforce the Coast Guard’s strong standards and policies and reaffirm the Service’s dedication to accountability through our core values,” the spokesperson said.
“Anyone who adheres to or advances hate or extremist ideology — get out. Leave. You don’t belong in the Untie States Coast Guard and we reject you,” Lunday said in a statement to The Post.
“We will not allow anyone to put a stain on our United States Coast Guard.”
The incident comes months after it was reported in November that the Coast Guard had revised a policy that characterized swastikas and nooses as “potentially divisive” images.
The Coast Guard responded by stating the policy prohibits the display, distribution or use of hate symbols by all personnel. However, the “potentially divisive” characterization remains.
“Such conduct is incompatible with our core values and has absolutely no place within our service,” the Coast Guard spokesperson told UPI.
“We are committed to maintaining a workplace that is safe, professional and respectful for every member of our workforce. Any behavior that undermines these standards will be addressed swiftly and seriously.”
