Cape May, New Jersey - The US Coast Guard has opened an investigation into a "hand-drawn" swastika that was found in the wall of a men's bathroom at a recruit training facility in New Jersey.

Sources familiar with the matter on Monday told the Washington Post that a Coast Guard instructor found the swastika on Thursday afternoon and immediately reported the discovery.

In response, Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday on Saturday flew to Cape May and spoke with about 900 recruits and staff members. The symbol was also immediately removed from the wall of the facility.

"Anyone who adheres to or advances hate or extremist ideology – get out. Leave. You don't belong in the United States Coast Guard, and we reject you," Lunday told the Post in a statement.

"We will not allow anyone to put a stain of hate on our United States Coast Guard," he said. "We will not be defined by the cowardly acts but instead be defined by our unwavering response and our resolve to defeat them."

In a separate statement sent to the Independent, a Coast Guard spokesperson said that a "hate symbol" was drawn on the wall but refused to confirm whether it was a swastika.

According to the spokesperson, Lunday's speech sought "to address the incident directly, reinforce the Coast Guard's strong standards and policies, and reaffirm the service's dedication to accountability through our core values."

The incident comes only months after a report in November alleged that the US Coast Guard would change the classification of swastikas as hate symbols and instead label them "potentially divisive."

In response to the outrage triggered by the report, Lunday issued a statement declaring that "divisive or hate symbols and flags are prohibited" and clarified that this includes the swastika.