CHESAPEAKE, Va. — U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Robert Whitehouse assumed command of the Coast Guard Community Services Command (CSC) where he relieved Capt. Robert McKenna during a change-of-command ceremony at CSC Headquarters in Chesapeake, Friday.
Capt. Whitehouse transfers to the CSC from the 1st District in Boston, Massachusetts where he served as the chief of planning and force readiness. Capt. McKenna transfers from the CSC to the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut where he will serve as the director of admissions.
In Capt. Whitehouse’s last role, he was responsible for the operational planning, readiness and allocation of resources through eight states across the Northeastern U.S. including more than 8,000 miles of shoreline along the United States/Canada border south to northern New Jersey. He has served in a variety of assignments over his 25-year military career where he has specialized in surface operations and finance.
Capt. McKenna departs the CSC after a highly successful, three-year tour. During his tenure, the CSC completed historic Coast Guard Exchange (CGX) recapitalization projects by opening new stores in Cape May, New Jersey, Petaluma, California, Mobile, Alabama, Cape Cod, Massachusetts and at Coast Guard Headquarters in D.C., for a total value of more than $8 million. The Cape Cod and Cape May stores feature an innovative marketplace concept, highlighting a strategic partnership with the Defense Commissary Agency by bringing commissary-like prices to Coast Guard families in locations without a commissary. He led the implementation of a new enterprise resource planning system valued at more than $6 million which completely modernized the CGX’s merchandising, point of sale and accounting systems. Of particular note were CSC’s efforts under McKenna’s command with the morale, well-being and recreation internship program which led to significant increases in underrepresented minority student populations by focusing recruiting efforts at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The CSC is the Coast Guard’s ‘non-appropriated fund center of excellence’ overseeing the 64 CGXs throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico that generate $165 million in annual sales. CSC acts as the program manager for the Coast Guard’s morale, well-being and recreation program. These vital, non-pay benefits provide critical support to the Coast Guard family and greatly enhance the readiness, retention and resiliency of the Coast Guard active duty workforce.
