PORTSMOUTH, Va. – Coast Guard Master Chief Petty Officer William Dikun relieved Coast Guard Atlantic Area Reserve Command Master Chief Petty Officer Dennis Kirk today during a Change of Watch ceremony here.
“I have a great deal of respect for the reserve force,” said Vice Adm. D. Brian Peterman, Commander, Atlantic Area. “We need strong leadership in our reserve components. The Command Master Chief is a leader of troops, but also a leader of leaders. Master Chief Kirk has been a real change agent during his tour and while the Coast Guard faces a lot of future challenges, I’m confident that Master Chief Dikun will provide the reserve leadership needed to meet those challenges.”
Dikun, a native of Point Pleasant, N.J., enlisted in the Coast Guard Reserve in 1986 and has served with distinction at various stations and Port Security Units (PSUs) throughout the Coast Guard Atlantic Area that includes everything east of the Rocky Mountains, from Canada to the Caribbean Sea and Southwest Asia. For the past five years, Dikun has served as the Reserve Command Master Chief for the First Coast Guard District in Boston.
A strong proponent of professional development and education, Dikun is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve Course, the U.S. Air Force Senior Non-commissioned Officer Academy and the U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy. He is currently enrolled in the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy Non-Resident Class. Dikun holds a Master of Administrative Science Degree, a Bachelor of Arts degree and several associates’ degrees.
Kirk served as the Reserve Command Master Chief for Atlantic Area for more than four years. He served as an additional communications link to the Atlantic Area Commander, providing input and feedback on various Coast Guard issues and initiatives. Kirk, a native of St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal for his performance of duty as the Reserve Command Master Chief for Atlantic Area and will report to the Maritime Force Protection Unit in Kings Bay, Ga., to assume the duties of Command Master Chief.
