Former Coast Guard Academy command master chief faces allegations of ‘inappropriate conduct’ April 28 Command Master Chief Brett VerHulst resigned his position as senior enlisted leader of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on Tuesday. (Coast Guard) The U.S. Coast Guard has launched an investigation into “alleged inappropriate conduct” by the former command master chief of the Coast Guard Academy, officials confirmed Wednesday. Former Command Master Chief Brett VerHulst abruptly resigned as senior enlisted leader of the academy on Tuesday for reasons that remain unclear. Academy spokesman Cmdr. David Milne said Wednesday that while the school’s superintendent accepted VerHulst’s resignation Tuesday, “he was simultaneously temporarily removed from his position pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.”