HONOLULU — Capt. Aldante Vinciguerra relieved Capt. Diane Durham as the Coast Guard Cutter Rush commanding officer during a change of command ceremony at Base Honolulu, Friday.
Vinciguerra most recently served as Command and Operations School Chief at the Leadership Development Center in New London, Conn.
Capt. Aldante Vinciguerra, Coast Guard Cutter Rush commanding officer, addresses the audience during during a change of command ceremony at Coast Guard Base Honolulu, June 27, 2014. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Kurt Fredrickson.
Previously Vinciguerra has served aboard four cutters, including one tour as commanding officer. Vinciguerra’s other assignments include serving as Chief of Personnel at Integrated Support Command Miami, Officer In Charge of Law Enforcement Detachment 8-H in Galveston, Texas, under the now decommissioned Tactical Law Enforcement Team Gulf, and Search and Rescue Controller for the 8th Coast Guard District.
“I consider myself one of the luckiest people in the Coast Guard,” said Vinciguerra. “I get to work with a fantastic crew on a remarkable ship homeported on a beautiful island.”
Vinciguerra’s military awards include three Meritorious Service Medals, five Coast Guard Commendation medals, a Navy Achievement Medal, the Commandant’s Letter of Commendation, six Unit commendations, three Meritorious Unit Commendations, and various other unit and special operations awards.
He graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management. In 2003, Vinciguerra earned a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.
Durham took command of the Rush in May, 2012. She will serve as Chief of Response for the Coast Guard 17th Coast Guard District in Juneau, Alaska.
“It has been an honor to serve with the men and women of Cutter Rush,” said Durham. “They exemplify that which is the best of the Coast Guard.”
The Rush’s missions take the cutter to all corners of the Pacific and include defense operations, search and rescue, fisheries law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction, joint interagency task force operations, and international engagement operations. The area of responsibility encompasses more than 12.2 million square miles in the Central and Western Pacific Ocean.
Vice Adm. Charles W. Ray, Commander, Pacific Area and Defense Forces West, presided over the ceremony.
The change of command ceremony is a time-honored tradition and formal ritual conducted before the assembled company of a command to confirm to the men and women of the unit that the authority of command is maintained. The ceremony is a transfer of total responsibility, authority and accountability from one individual to another.
