The U.S. Coast Guard launched an internal investigation after a swastika was found on a bathroom wall at a primary recruit training center in New Jersey.
The swastika— widely recognized as a symbol of the German Nazi Party and linked to the killing of millions of Jews — was found in the bathroom of the training center in Cape May, and the branch referred the matter to the Coast Guard Investigative Service for a probe, a Coast Guard spokesperson told The Hill on Monday.
The symbol was removed.
It was found by a Coast Guard instructor, according to The Washington Post, which first reported on the investigation.
Following the symbol’s discovery, Adm. Kevin Lunday, the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, traveled to Cape May, where he addressed nearly 900 recruits and staff to discuss the incident directly, “reinforce the Coast Guard’s strong standards and policies, and reaffirm the Service’s dedication to accountability through our core values,” according to the Coast Guard.