On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Admiral Lunday, Commandant of the Coast Guard, issued Action Order 26-01: Combating Sexual Assault. The Action Order is below:
Coast Guard Men and Women,
This order sets forth Coast Guard direction on combating sexual assault.
Sexual assault is a violent crime that causes devastating trauma to individuals. It also destroys unit readiness. Coast Guard men and women work in teams and crews where trust and the need to depend on one another is vital to our mission and the safety of our people. All of our people are worthy of a Coast Guard where they never fear their own teammates.
We will aggressively combat sexual assault. We will also combat the criminal behaviors that enable it, especially sexual harassment.
- We will strengthen prevention by enforcing clear standards of discipline and conduct, improving training and resources, and increasing leader focus and action at all levels.
- We will improve reporting options and honor the decisions victims and survivors make. We will ensure all personnel know their options to enable informed decisions with ready access to expert support for reporting and trauma-informed care.
- We will respond immediately and appropriately to every report while safeguarding and caring for victims and survivors, employing the best trained professionals in criminal investigation and trauma-informed care.
- We will safeguard the privacy and dignity of victims and survivors.
- We will support long-term recovery by providing access to expert Coast Guard, other Federal, and external resources for as long as needed.
- We will hold those who commit these crimes accountable under the law and policy, ensuring care and protection for victims and survivors and due process under the law for those accused. We will also hold accountable those who fail in their duty to combat sexual assault.
Leaders at every level, myself included, are responsible and accountable for combating sexual assault. That starts with discipline—setting and upholding the highest standards across the Service. Together with the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, I have personally charged every Commander, Commanding Officer, Officer-in-Charge and Command Senior Enlisted Leader with this responsibility in writing, and will continuously reinforce that imperative. All other leaders, especially Chief Petty Officers, commissioned officers, and civilian supervisors, shall set and enforce these standards, including through regular communications across the force.
Every Coast Guard man and woman (Active, Reserve, Civilian, Auxiliary) has a duty to meet those high standards, including their own official duty and personal responsibility to take action to prevent and respond to sexual assault. We will act with the same courage and bias for action expected of us in rescuing someone in peril at sea.
We will continue to fully implement 33 ongoing major actions to combat sexual assault, 24 of which have already been completed. We will complete the remaining actions in 2026. That is only the start.
- Within 30 days, I will begin monthly meetings with Coast Guard senior leadership and expert advisor participation focused on assessing the status of our efforts to combat sexual assault, including review of trends and underlying data, progress on actions to address, identification of gaps and issues for action, and strategies for decision and action to resolve them.
- Within 45 days, issue the updated Coast Guard Sexual Assault, Prevention, Response, and Recovery (SAPRR) Strategic Plan.
- Within 90 days, issue a detailed Coast Guard SAPRR Strategic Plan implementation effort with specific actions, responsibilities, resourcing, and timelines for completion.
- Strengthen Coast Guard SAPRR policy and update relevant directives in 2026.
- Implement the statutory provisions of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025.
- Continue to cooperate in external oversight investigations into prior Coast Guard actions to address sexual assault prevention, response, recovery, and accountability.
ADM Kevin E. Lunday
Commandant
-USCG-