A U.S. Coast Guard pilot who was assigned to transport Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was fired and later reinstated after a personal blanket was not transferred between aircraft during a trip. The incident, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, occurred after a maintenance issue required a change of planes. Noem’s blanket was not moved to the replacement aircraft, people familiar with the matter told the newspaper. The pilot was told to take a commercial flight home following the mission, the report said.
The personnel action was reversed, though, when it was determined that no other pilot was immediately available to operate the aircraft for the return flight. A DHS spokeswoman did not address the specific episode but said Kristi Noem has made personnel decisions intended “to deliver excellence.”
Reporting from the Daily Mail cited the same sequence of events and noted the pilot’s reinstatement occurred before the return leg due to operational needs.
These flights were operated by the U.S. Coast Guard under DHS authority. The Coast Guard provides aviation support for departmental travel and missions. Officials have said such flights are used for a mix of administrative and operational purposes.
The department did not provide additional details on the flight, crew assignment procedures or any policy changes following the incident.
