TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – Captain David Throop will transfer command of Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City to Commander Stuart Merrill in a Change of Command Ceremony at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 15, 2007, at the Coast Guard Hangar.
Captain Throop, a native of Burton, Mich., will assume of the duties of Captain (O-6) Assignments Officer at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington D.C.
Commander Merrill, a native of Westwood, Mass., and a 1987 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy, is coming from Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii, where he served as the Executive Officer.
Presiding over the Change of Command Ceremony will be Rear Admiral John E. Crowley, Jr., Commander of the Ninth Coast Guard District. The change of command is a time-honored tradition and deeply rooted in Coast Guard and Naval history. The event signifies a total transfer of responsibility, authority and accountability for the command. The ceremony is witnessed by all members so that they all know exactly when the transfer of leadership takes place.
Air Station Traverse City has 145 members and flies 5 HH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopters. The unit protects almost 10,000 miles of Great Lakes coastline and annually responds to approximately 250 search and rescue cases.
