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Lt. Cmdr. Jerrel "Wade" Russell salutes as he relieves Cmdr. Ken Mills as the commanding officer of Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Cleveland at the Coast Guard's Cleveland Moorings facility July 12, 2013. Cmdr. John Imahori (center), deputy commander of Coast Guard Sector Buffalo, was the presiding official for the change-of-command ceremony. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Joseph Fletscher |
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Cmdr. John Imahori presents Cmdr. Ken Mills with a Coast Guard Commendation Medal for his tour of duty as commanding officer of Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Cleveland at a ceremony at the Coast Guard Cleveland Moorings facility July 12, 2013. Mills is departing Cleveland to serve as the chief of prevention at Coast Guard Sector Detroit. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Joseph Fletscher |
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Cmdr. Ken Mills (foreground) and Cmdr. Jerrel "Wade" Russell, inspect the crew of Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Cleveland during the unit's change-of-command ceremony at the Coast Guard's Cleveland Moorings facility July 12, 2013.
Trooping the line is one of the time-honored traditions of the change-of-command ceremony.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Joseph Fletscher |
CLEVELAND — Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Cleveland held a change-of-command ceremony at the Coast Guard's Cleveland Moorings facility Friday morning.
Cmdr. Kenneth V. Mills was relieved as commanding officer by Lt. Cmdr. Jerrel "Wade" Russell during the ceremony as Cmdr. John Imahori, deputy commander of Coast Guard Sector Buffalo, N.Y., presided.
Mills had been the commanding officer of MSU Cleveland since July 2010, and is moving on to Coast Guard Sector Detroit as the chief of prevention, where he will be responsible for the oversight of vessel inspections, investigations, and waterways management for southwestern Lake Erie, the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River and most of Lake Huron.
Russell was previously assigned as detachment chief for the Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise in Paducah, Ky. His duties included national oversight of the Coast Guard’s Towing Vessel Bridging Program, which helped prepare the uninspected towing vessel industry for inspected service.
MSU Cleveland is northeast Ohio’s premier maritime safety and regulatory authority. The unit’s area of responsibility stretches from Vermillion, Ohio, to the Pennsylvania/Ohio border and as far south as Akron, Ohio. Annually, the unit responds to more than 150 marine environmental pollution cases, conducts dozens of vessel security boardings and examinations, executes all commercial vessel inspections and investigations of marine casualties. MSU Cleveland is comprised of 40 active-duty and reserve personnel.
For further questions, please contact Lt. Hillary Allegretti at 216-937-0124.