NEW ORLEANS — Coast Guard 8th District personnel held a change-of-command ceremony Friday at the Port of New Orleans.
Rear Adm. John P. Nadeau transferred command of the Coast Guard 8th District to Rear Adm. Richard V. Timme.
As the 8th District commander, Timme is responsible for all Coast Guard operations spanning 26 states, including the Gulf of Mexico coastline from Florida to Mexico, the adjacent offshore waters and outer continental shelf, and the inland waterways of the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee River systems. Headquartered in New Orleans, the 8th District encompasses three major regions covering more than 11,000 miles of waterways and 179,000 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico. During an average year the more than 7,000 active duty, reserve, civilian and auxiliary personnel of the 8th District save more than 870 lives and assist more than 4,200 people.
Timme was previously assigned as the assistant commandant for prevention policy at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for the development of national policy, standards and programs promoting marine safety, security and environmental stewardship. For more information on Timme’s Coast Guard career visit here.
Nadeau originally took command of the 8th District in June 2019 and retired after 32 years of service following the change of command.
A change-of-command ceremony marks a transfer of total responsibility and authority from one individual to another. It is a time-honored tradition conducted before the assembled crew, as well as honored guests and dignitaries to formally demonstrate the continuity of the authority within a command.