Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Paul Zukunft, stands with the first Ancient Tridents, Rear Admiral Linda Fagan and Master Chief Petty Officer Richard “Shane” Hooker during the Ancient Trident Ceremony held at the Alexander Hamilton Custom House, March 23, 2017. (U.S. Coast Guard Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Frank Iannazzo-Simmons)
NEW YORK – U.S. Coast Guard leaders and distinguished guests joined together Thursday to recognize Rear Admiral Linda Fagan and Master Chief Petty Officer Richard “Shane” Hooker, the first Ancient Tridents, at the Ancient Trident Ceremony held at the Alexander Hamilton Custom House.
“It’s a proud day for the marine safety community as the Ancient Tridents Gold and Silver joins the lineage of the Ancients,” said Rear Admiral Linda Fagan, the deputy commandant for operations, policy and capabilities. “Having the Ancient title associated with the marine safety community bring a sense of honor and celebrates all of the professionalism, accomplishments, and the long heritage and traditions of the marine safety community.”
Among the distinguished guests in attendance were Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Paul Zukunft, Rear Admiral Paul Thomas, and several distinguished guests of the marine safety community.
The Ancient Trident Award, similar to the other Ancient awards (Albatross, Mariner, and Keeper), honors an officer and enlisted member for distinguished service in the Marine Safety field.
The Ancient Trident Award also honors the heritage and progression of Marine Safety from the Steamboat Inspection Service, to the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation and finally to the Coast Guard. The term “Trident” represents the three pronged approach to our mission: Prevention, Preparedness, and Response.
The Ancient Trident Award was established in 2016 to honor the officer and enlisted Coast Guard members with the longest time in the marine safety program. This award not only recognizes marine safety longevity, but also extols the officer and enlisted member whose personal character and performance standards honor the most venerable practitioners of marine safety and reflect our core values.
The silver and gold ancient tridents must have served a minimum of 10 years of accumulated service time in the marine safety program while on active duty in the Coast Guard. The ancient tridents are charged with keeping a close watch to ensure that the marine safety traditions are continued and that the time honored reputation of the Coast Guard is maintained.
