The Obama administration has tapped Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Neffenger to become the new administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
President Barack Obama said he would nominate Neffenger as the head of the TSA, replacing John Pistole, who stepped down in December after four years at the helm.
The TSA administrator overseas a workforce of 50,000 security personnel stationed at airport checkpoints nationwide.
Neffenger has spent 30 years with the US Coast Guard which has included posts leading security efforts at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.
He was also involved in the Gulf of Mexico cleanup following the 2010 BP oil spill.
"I have no doubt that his skills, intellect and energy that have up to now been devoted to maritime security will be easily translatable to aviation security," said Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, whose department directly oversees the operations of both the Coast Guard and the TSA.
