BROWNSVILLE, Texas — An endangered sea turtle and five sharks were released back to the ocean late Sunday night after the Coast Guard spotted Mexicans fishing illegally in U.S. waters, approximately 1 mile north of the U.S. and Mexico border. 

The fishing boat, known as a lancha, was spotted along with three others by a Coast Guard air crew aboard an HU-25 Falcon jet, during a patrol of the border.

Coast Guard Station South Padre Island dispatched a boatcrew at about 6:30 p.m. aboard a 33-foot Law Enforcement Special Purpose Craft (SPC-LE) to the last known position of the lanchas, 1 mile offshore. The station's boatcrew quickly recovered the illegal fishing gear and was able to safely release an endangered sea turtle and five sharks back into the wild.

“Due to the quick response of Station South Padre Island’s crew, five sharks and a sea turtle that were found in vessel’s long-line gear were released back into the ocean alive,” said Cmdr. Daniel Deptula, the response department head at Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi. “This is a particularly significant case because we were able to save one of our endangered species and highlights the significant threat to the living marine resources of South Texas.”

The three lanchas previously spotted were not found when boat crews arrived.

Illegal fishing by Mexican nationals in the gulf region, along the U.S. and Mexico border, continues to be a prevalent and complex issue.

“Mexican fisheries have been depleted due to wasteful fishing methods such as gill netting and over fishing, which is why there has been increased illegal fishing activity into U.S. waters,” said Deptula.  “And though these particular lanchas were found illegally fishing, these vessels are also known to smuggle illicit narcotics and people into the United States.”

During 2013, Sector Corpus Christi and its outlying units have seized 11 lanchas and more than 13 miles of fishing gear. Additionally, 513 fish and 86 sharks have been seized, and one live sea turtle has been returned to the sea.  

For more information, please see the Coast Guard's Web site on Living Marine Resources. 

HONOLULU — The Coast Guard, and a ship registered with the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System, are responding to a mariner in distress aboard a sailing vessel approximately 443 miles from Christmas Island, the Republic of Kiribati at 6:11 a.m., Monday.

Watchstanders in Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu received notification of the distress from an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon coming from an unnamed sailing vessel transiting from California.

The owner, a 58-year-old Australian man, reported the vessel’s autopilot failed and he has become too fatigued to continue his transit.

A crew piloting an HC-130 Hercules airplane from Air Station Barbers Point was launched and established communications with the mariner.

A 600-foot container vessel has been identified and is scheduled to conduct the rescue of the mariner Monday night.

A second Hercules crew is scheduled to launch at 5 p.m. Monday to provide cover during the rescue.

The container vessel is registered with AMVER, a network of ships whose crews volunteer to assist with rescue on the seas, helping to extend the Coast Guard’s reach in remote areas.

For more information contact the 14th Coast Guard District Public Affairs Office at (808) 535-3230.

HONOLULU — A mariner in distress was rescued by a container vessel in the North Pacific at 9 p.m. Monday.

The crew aboard the container vessel Kota Wangi rescued a 58-year-old Australian mariner aboard the sailing vessel Folly II. The mariner was in good condition and was transiting from California to Christmas Island, in the Republic of Kiribati, when the vessel’s autopilot reportedly failed.

After manually navigating the vessel for four weeks, he had become too fatigued to continue.

Watchstanders in Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu received notification of the distress from a Personal Locator Beacon at approximately 6:11 a.m. Monday.

An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Air Station Barbers Point was launched and established communications with the mariner. A second Hercules was launched at 5 p.m. Monday to provide cover during the rescue.

The Kota Wangi is registered with the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System, a network of ships whose crews volunteer to assist with rescue on the seas, helping to extend the Coast Guard’s reach in cases outside the immediate reach of response assets.

AMVER evolved into a global technology over the past century. It relies on the cooperation of commercial mariners to assist others in need. When a vessel is found to be in distress, registered AMVER vessels in the area are contacted to provide assistance. With its roots reaching back to the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, AMVER now incorporates cutting edge satellite and communication technologies as a critical lifesaving tool in the modern maritime community.

For more information contact the 14th Coast Guard District Public Affairs Office at (808) 535-3230 or visit www.amver.com/.

MIAMI - The Coast Guard received a distress alert from an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon registered to a 39-foot Trimaran called 3/4 Time 30 miles north of Key West, Fla., early Tuesday. Coast Guard crews are searching for a man who went missing from his boat Monday from Fort Myers, Fla., and never arrived in Key West, as planned. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

MIAMI - Coast Guard crews are searching for a man who went out on his boat Monday from Fort Myers, Fla., and never arrived in Key West, Fla., as planned.

Missing is Jay Rydberg, 40, of Fairbanks, Alaska.

The Coast Guard received a distress alert from an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon registered to a 39-foot Trimaran called 3/4 Time 30 miles north of Key West early Tuesday.

Seventh Coast Guard District watchstanders quickly launched multiple assets including the Coast Guard Cutter Marlin crew, Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater HC-130 Hercules aircraft crew, Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft crew and a Coast Guard rescue helicopter crew from Air Station Clearwater.

The Marlin is an 87-foot Patrol Boat homeported in Fort Myers Beach, Fla.

The Pea Island is a 110-foot patrol boat, homeported in Key West.

WHO: The Coast Guard, the Virginia Port Authority and the Virginia Maritime Association. 

WHAT: The media is invited to the Thursday session, which involves shipboard firefighting training scenarios during the week-long symposium. 

WHEN: Thursday at 10 a.m.

WHERE: General Dynamics, NASSCO Earl Industries at 2 Harper Ave., Portsmouth, VA 23707

Media interested are requested to contact Lt. Scott Williams at 757-434-1858 or at scott.k.williams@uscg.mil 

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard is participating in the 22nd Annual Robert E. Rumens Marine Firefighting Symposium, hosted by the Virginia Port Authority and the Virginia Maritime Association from Monday to Saturday.

The symposium includes classroom sessions on ship construction, correct ship boarding procedure, shipboard firefighting training scenarios at the Naval Shipboard Firefighting School and training scenarios aboard Navy's Sealift Command ships.  More than 100 members from local fire, police and industry partners are participating in the event.

PENSACOLA, Fla. — The Coast Guard and partner agencies are searching for a male kayaker reported overdue on Lake Frederick near Naval Air Station Pensacola, Tuesday.

Missing is Joseph Kane, 21, Pensacola.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Ala., received a call from Kane's father who reported his son overdue and expected his return by 5 p.m. Monday. Kane reportedly launched his yellow kayak at Lake Frederick at approximately 2 p.m. The father reported his son is an experienced swimmer and usually wears his life jacket.

Joint Coast Guard and first responder agencies from Florida are currently searching an area of 610 square-nautical miles in the vicinity of Pensacola Bay.

Search-and-rescue resources deployed are:

One Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew;

One Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew;

One Coast Guard Station Pensacola 25-foot Response Boat — Small boatcrew;

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission boatcrew;

Orange Beach Fire/Rescue boatcrew.

The Coast Guard recommends all boaters and water enthusiasts file a float plan with family or a friend. Include all information that would help rescuers in case of an emergency; how many people on board, where you are going, how long you will be out and a description of your boat. However, do not file float plans with the Coast Guard.

CAPE MAY, N.J. – The 44-year-old Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous is scheduled to hold a change-of-command ceremony Thursday at Coast Guard Training Center Cape May at 10 a.m.

Cmdr. Gregory H. Magee will turn over command of the cutter to Cmdr. Terry Johns.

Johns recently served as director of the Coast Guard Auxiliary for the Fifth Coast Guard District, Northern Region, where he was responsible for policy, training and readiness of more than 2,600 Auxiliarists who support the Coast Guard.

Magee is transfering to the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa., where he will study strategic leadership.

“I’m extremely proud of the crew of Vigorous and their efforts in going above and beyond to keep a 44-year-old cutter operational,” said Magee. “Their efforts overcame numerous challenges, including two hurricane evacuations to ensure we were ready for patrol.”

Under Magee’s command, the 80-person Vigorous crew served as on-scene commander for the cruise ship Carnival Triumph rescue and conducted a six-day escort of the ship to Mobile, Ala. They also conducted six search and rescue cases resulting in five lives saved, interdicted 112 Haitian migrants and embarked an additional 60 from another cutter, all of whom were repatriated to Haiti, and interdicted a coastal freighter with a hidden compartment containing 145 pounds of cocaine and 245 pounds of marijuana.

Medium endurance cutters like the Vigorous are built for multi-week offshore patrols including operations requiring enhanced communications, and helicopter and pursuit boat operations, which provide a key capability for homeland security missions at sea.

AGUADILLA, Puerto Rico - Rear Adm. William Bill Baumgartner, commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District, pins the Silver Lifesaving Medal on U.S. Border Patrol Agent Javier M. López, during a ceremony at Air Station Borinquen’s Community Center in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico May 24, 2013. López, was awarded the Silver Life Saving Medal for his heroic actions in rescuing two people from drowning Aug. 27, 2011 at Jobos Beach, Isabela, Puerto Rico. U.S. Coast Guard Photo by Ricardo Castrodad, Sector San Juan public specialist.

AGUADILLA, Puerto Rico U.S. Coast Guard presented the Silver Lifesaving Medal to U.S. Border Patrol Agent Javier M. López (center) during a ceremony at Air Station Borinquen’s Community Center in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico May 24, 2013. Accompanying López from left to right are Xavier Morales, Ramey Sector acting chief U.S. Border Patrol agent, followed by Lopez’s son Marcos G. López; daughter Mariaeliza López; wife Tania Hernandez, and Rear Adm. William Baumgartner, commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District. The Silver Lifesaving Medal was created by congress in 1874 and is awarded to people who endanger their own lives while saving or attempting to save another from drowning, a shipwreck or other perils of the water.  U.S. Coast Guard Photo by Ricardo Castrodad, Sector San Juan public specialist.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Rear Adm. William Baumgartner, commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District, presented U.S. Border Patrol agent Javier M. López with the Silver Life Saving Medal Friday during a ceremony at Air Station Borinquen’s Community Center in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.

López, who serves as a Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agent at Ramey Sector in Aguadilla, was awarded the Silver Life Saving Medal for his heroic actions in rescuing two people from drowning Aug. 27, 2011 at Jobos Beach, Isabela, Puerto Rico.

López noticed two people struggling to maintain their heads above water, clearly in distress.  Without hesitation López ran towards the water, he obtained a flotation device from two children and continued running to an area of the beach known to be very dangerous due to a strong and deadly undertow.  López entered the dangerous waters without any regard to his personal safety, aggressively swam towards the drowning couple and extended the flotation device within their grasp. The couple was able to cling to the device and pull themselves above water.

Due to the strong undertow, agent López could not pull the couple to the safety of shallower waters, yet he did not abandon them.  Agent López battled the currents to keep the couple from drowning long enough for a nearby recreational vessel to come to their aid.  Finally, the people onboard the vessel reached and pulled the couple out of the water ultimately saving their lives.

“Ramey Sector is proud of Agent Lopez’ actions on and off duty.” said Xavier Morales, Ramey Sector acting chief U.S. Border Patrol agent.  “Border Patrol Agents often go above and beyond in all types of situations and it’s great when they are commended for their actions. The fact that Agent Lopez was commended by a partner agency makes this extra special. Knowing that two people are alive because of your actions must be a rewarding within itself, but receiving such an important medal for your actions, puts the icing on the cake.  Agent Lopez is certainly living up to the Ramey Sector motto “Sentinels of the Caribbean”

The Silver Lifesaving Medal was created by congress in 1874 and is awarded to people who endanger their own lives while saving or attempting to save another from drowning, a shipwreck or other perils of the water. The Coast Guard is the ultimate award authority for the Silver Lifesaving Medal and can award the decorations to members of all military branches as well as civilians.

Crewmembers from Coast Guard Station Marblehead, Ohio, work to tie a vessel to the dock May 29, 2013 at Catawba Island Club in Port Clinton, Ohio. The crew was dispatched to the vessel when it was reported to be taking on water in Lake Erie. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Lee Durfee

CLEVELAND — A Coast Guard rescue crew assisted two boaters Wednesday morning after their vessel began taking on water near the Catawba Island Club entrance in western Lake Erie.

The names and hometowns of the boaters are not being released.

At about 9:20 a.m., a watchstander at Coast Guard Station Marblehead, Ohio, was notified by a commercial salvage vessel that a 21-foot boat with two people aboard was taking on water near the entrance of Catawba Island Club.

A Station Marblehead boatcrew launched aboard a 33-foot Special Purpose Craft-Law Enforcement and responded to the vessel.

The SPC-LE crew arrived on scene and dewatered the vessel. The two people were taken aboard the SPC-LE, and two of the Coast Guardsmen went aboard the 21-foot boat to keep a dewatering pump running.

A commercial salvage vessel placed a smaller dewatering pump aboard and took the 21-foot vessel in tow.

The vessel was towed by commercial salvage to Catawba Island State Park, where it was trailered and removed from the water.

The SPC-LE crew determined the cause of the flooding to be dry rot near the transom of the vessel where a swimming platform was mounted.

“This was the station's second taking-on-water case in 12 hours,” said Petty Officer 1^st Class Lee Durfee, a coxswain at Station Marblehead. “This is a reminder to all mariners to inspect their vessels prior to getting underway, especially after being stored and out of operation during the winter months."

Tuesday night, another Station Marblehead boatcrew assisted two boaters when they reported their boat taking on water near Kelleys Island. Click here for more information.

The Coast Guard reminds mariners that even experienced boaters need a vessel safety check. Mariners can receive a free vessel safety check from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.  For more information about free vessel safety checks, click here.

CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard rescued one man out of the water Wednesday morning in the Straits of Mackinac.

The name and hometown of the individual are not being released, and there is no Coast Guard imagery available.

At about 6 a.m., the communications watchstander at Coast Guard Station St. Ignace, Mich., was contacted by the Mackinac County Central Dispatch reporting that a man had been seen jumping from the lower section on the east side of the Mackinac Bridge.

A Station St. Ignace boatcrew was dispatched aboard a 25-foot Response Boat-Small. In addition, a helicopter was requested from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City,Mich., but it was delayed due to weather that included poor visibility in the Straits area.

The rescue boatcrew arrived on scene and deployed a life ring with a strobe to determine set and drift. The RB-S crew was able to locate and rescue the man, who was floating on his back and was conscious about one mile from the bridge. The RB-S crew stabilized him on a backboard, and he confirmed he was the one who jumped from the bridge.

The man was taken to Mackinaw City where he was transferred from the RB-S to an awaiting emergency medical services crew, who further transported him to Mackinac Straits Medical Center via ambulance.

There is no further information regarding the health of the jumper.

The bridge span's estimated height is approximately 75 feet above the water.

"Accurate and timely information provided by 911 dispatch allowed quick location of the individual in spite of heavy fog conditions," said Lt. Rich Sansone, search-and-rescue mission coordinator at Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie.  "Precise location data enhances search-and-rescue planning, decreases Coast Guard response time, and ultimately translates to significantly increased odds of survival for any victim or person in distress."

For more information, contact Lt. Rob Scott, Sector Sault Ste. Marie public information officer, at 906-748-8427.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard along with Port Aransas Emergency Medical Services and police department are searching for a male that fell off the Port Street fishing pier in Port Aransas Wednesday.

 The man was reported to be Caucasian and in his late twenties or early thirties. He is described to be wearing a grey shirt with lightly colored shorts and has a tattoo on his right arm.

The Coast Guard launched an MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter from Air Station Corpus Christi along with a 25-foot response boat from Station Port Aransas to search for the man.

Anyone with additional information is requested to contact the Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi Command Center at (361) 939-6393.

For additional information about the on-going case, please contact Lt. Cmdr. Brendan Evans at (361) 438-0176.

By Petty Officers 2^nd Class George Degener and Zac Crawford

SEATTLE — As the weather changes and the Pacific Northwest transitions into the warmer months of spring and summer, more than half a million recreational boaters will get ready to use the region’s waters. Coast Guardsmen from Bellingham, Wash., to Brookings, Ore., and across the country also prepare for the traditional start of boating season by stressing boating safety.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Backman and Petty Officer 2nd Class Ahmed Sanura, both machinery technicians with U.S. Coast Guard Station Seattle, board a vessel to perform a safety inspection near Seattle May 26, 2013. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Pety Oficer 2nd CLass Zac Crawford.

“It’s in the best interest of every mariner to ensure that they have the required safety equipment on their vessel,” said Petty Officer 1^st Class Scott Kirker, a maritime enforcement specialist and boarding officer with the Coast Guard’s Seattle-based Vessel Boarding and Search Team. “Each of those safety items is designed with intent to save lives.”

May 5, 2013, saw 80-degree air temperatures and men, women and children trailering small recreational boats, heading for boat ramps across Washington State and Oregon. Waiting for them at the Gene Coulon Park boat ramp in Renton, Wash., were Kirker and other VBST boarding officers: Petty Officer 2^nd Class Stefon Kleinert and Petty Officer 3^rd Class Marc Henderson. Holding stacks of Coast Guard boarding forms and with ready eyes, these three men performed recreational boating safety exams as soon as, if not before, boats entered the water.

“Doing an RBS boarding dockside greatly benefits both boaters and the Coast Guard,” said Kirker. “Boaters receive a vessel inspection and verification of gear before they get underway, meaning that a lack of any required gear can be identified before not having it could put their lives at risk.”

The Coast Guard recommends that all mariners inspect their boat for any mechanical defects and verify that all the required safety equipment is present, in good working order and that boat operators know how to properly operate their safety gear.

“Things change over time,” said Kirker. “It’s not worth putting the lives of your friends and family at risk by assuming that your boat and gear are in the same condition you last left it.” 

Some of the common safety equipment required by the Coast Guard during these

Petty Officer 2nd Class Stefon Kleinert, Petty Officer 3rd Class Marc Henderson and Petty Officer 1st Class Scott Kirker, maritime enforcement specialists assigned to Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound Vessel Boarding and Search Team in Seattle, conduct dockside recreational boating safety inspections at Gene Coulon Park in Renton, Wash., May 5, 2013. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class George Degener.

inspections include: one life jacket for everyone onboard, a sound-producing device such as a whistle or horn, a throwable Type-4 flotation device such as a life ring and a fire extinguisher that is charged and in good working order.

“We do these types of things to educate the public and promote boating safety,” said Petty Officer 2^nd Class Daniel Backman, a machinery technician and boarding officer at Coast Guard Station Seattle. “We accomplish that goal by inspecting their safety equipment and making sure they are following all federal regulations when it comes to recreational boating.”

One of the other continuing goals the Coast Guard has been successful with is that of educating novice boaters. 

“All boaters, both seasoned and new, need to be made aware of these safety concerns,” said Petty Officer 2^nd Class Ahmed Sanura, a machinery technician and boarding officer at Coast Guard Station Seattle. “If they have all of their safety equipment, new and seasoned boaters alike, will be in a better position to handle any emergency situation they may run into on the water.”  

Click here for more photos of Seattle-area Coast Guardsmen conducting recreational boating safety examinations.

Editor's note: for high resolution images click the thumbnails above.

HONOLULU — The Coast Guard is seeking public comment on a proposal of a permanent regulated navigation area, enforcement of which would take place only during times when a tsunami warning is issued for the Hawaiian Islands by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Tsunami warnings require the evacuation of a large number of vessels from their respective harbors. Following the evacuation, these vessels must remain offshore until the emergency situation has passed and the harbors have been deemed safe for re-entry. Past tsunami warnings have created potentially dangerous offshore traffic congestion between commercial and recreational vessel traffic. Because of this, designated vessel traffic staging areas are necessary for a safe and orderly evacuation of southern Oahu ports.

"These staging areas are an example of Coast Guard efforts to improve our tsunami preparedness in the Hawaiian Islands," said Captain Shannon Gilreath, captain of the port for Honolulu. "Second only to saving lives, the safe resumption of maritime commerce is a top priority following a disaster and these areas will help accomplish that".

Public comment and related material on the proposed regulated navigation area must be received by the Coast Guard on or before June 13, 2013.

The full proposed rule can be found and commented on here: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=USCG-2012-0080-0001

For additional information or questions, contact Lt. Cmdr. Scott Whaley, Coast Guard Sector Honolulu at (808) 522–8264 ext.352 or Scott.O.Whaley@uscg.mil.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard conducted hoist training with Coast Guard cadets in the Pasquotank River, Wednesday.

Cadets were given the opportunity to get in the water and have Petty Officer 3rd Class Steve Scheren, a rescue swimmer from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., simulate pulling them to safety and where they were hoisted up to a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter by Chief Petty Officer Robert Cain, a flight mechanic from Air Station Elizabeth City.

Cadets from the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., are at the air station for their week-long cadet aviation training program, where cadets get to experience working at an air station.

The cadets went through training to learn how to be safely hoisted into a helicopter from the water and understand how to communicate to the rescue swimmer during the training. Once the cadets completed their training, they became qualified to be a duck, a simulated person in distress in the water.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard rescued four people from the Back River Wednesday after a 12-foot sailboat overturned near Poquoson.

A crew aboard a 25-foot Response Boat - Small from Coast Guard Station Little Creek in Virginia Beach notified Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders of an overturned sailboat with four people in the water at approximately 3 p.m.

Crewmembers aboard the RB-S were conducting a search when they noticed people in the water waving their arms. The crew pulled up near the people in the water and the four people swam to the Coast Guard boat. The RB-S crew took them to the Poquoson Yacht Club in Poquoson.

"I'm glad they were all wearing their life jackets," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Tonya Smothers, the coxswain aboard the RB-S from Station Little Creek.

The vessel has been salvaged by the owner.

There are no reports of injuries.

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard has suspended their search for a missing 21-year-old man in Lake Ponchartrain Thursday.

Missing is Ksanwy Chavez.

Watchstanders at 8th Coast Guard District Command Center received a call from a New Orleans Parish 911 operator Tuesday at 2:30 p.m., and reported a distressed swimmer in the vicinity of the University of New Orleans lakefront area.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans and a 29-foot response boatcrew from Coast Guard Station New Orleans began searching for Chavez. Multiple crews continued to search throughout the night.

Two 25-foot response boatcrews from Marine Safety and Security Team New Orleans joined the search for additional support Thursday, along with over flights from multiple MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crews.  In total, Coast Guard crews searched for 27 hours and covered a 163-square-mile-area.

The New Orleans Police Department, New Orleans Fire Department and good samaritans also aided in the search.

“We offer our deepest condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Chavez,” Said Capt. Peter Gautier, commander, Sector New Orleans. “We have searched aggressively with boats and helicopters to locate Mr. Chavez and appreciate working with the New Orleans Police Department, Fire Department and local good Samaritans in this effort.”

BOURNE, Mass. — Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod is scheduled to hold a change of command ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday June 2, 2013.

WHO:

Rear Adm. Daniel Abel, commander of the First Coast Guard District, will preside over the ceremony

Capt. Stephen Torpey, prospective commanding officer of Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod

Capt. David Throop, Air Station Cape Cod commanding officer

WHERE: Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod,  3172 Herbert Rd., Buzzards Bay, Mass.

WHEN: Monday, June 3, 2013, 10 a.m.

The change of command ceremony is a time-honored tradition, which formally restates that the continuity of command will be maintained. It is a formal ritual, conducted before the assembled company of the command. It conveys to the officers, enlisted personnel, civilian employees, and auxiliarists of the Coast Guard that although the authority of command is relinquished by one person and is assumed by another, it is still maintained without interruption.

Members of the media interested in attending the ceremony should contact the Air Station Cape Cod Public Affairs Office at 508-968-6613 prior to 4 p.m. on May 30.

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KITTERY, Maine — The Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma is scheduled to hold a change of command ceremony Friday, May 31, 2013 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.

WHO: Cmdr. Michael A. Hudson, prospective commanding officer 

Capt. Christopher P. Mooradian, Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma commanding officer

WHERE: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine

WHEN: Friday, May 31, 2013, 11 a.m.

The change of command ceremony is a time-honored tradition, which formally restates that the continuity of command will be maintained. It is a formal ritual, conducted before the assembled company of the command. It conveys to the officers, enlisted personnel, civilian employees, and auxiliarists of the Coast Guard that although the authority of command is relinquished by one person and is assumed by another, it is still maintained without interruption.

Representatives of the media wishing to attend must RSVP with the Naval Shipyard's public affairs office at 207-438-3975 by Thursday, May 30. Media credentials and identification are required of all personnel. 

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