AN DIEGO – The Coast Guard Cutter Sea Otter welcomed a new Officer in Charge in a change of command ceremony June 17, 2011 aboard the Naval Submarine Base, Point Loma, Calif.
During the ceremony, which was presided by Capt. Thomas Farris, the commanding officer of Sector San Diego, Master Chief Petty Officer John D. Bowen assumed command responsibilities from Master Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey D. Sherman as officer in charge.
During Sherman’s tenure, Sea Otter received the Sector San Diego Readiness Award for May 2010, the 87-foot Program Depot Maintenance Section Chief Excellence in Cutter Configuration Award for 1st quarter fiscal year 2011, had a 1,400 pound marijuana drug bust off of Sunset Cliffs and apprehended approximately 70 suspected illegal migrants.
Bowen reported to Sea Otter from the Coast Guard Cutter Ahi in Honolulu as the officer in charge.
The change of command ceremony is a time-honored tradition, which formally restates that the continuity of command will be maintained. It is a formal ritual, conducted before the assembled company of the command. It conveys to the officers, enlisted personnel, civilian employees, and auxiliary members of the Coast Guard that although the authority of command is relinquished by one person and is assumed by another, it is still maintained without interruption.
Coast Guard Cutter Sea Otter is the 62nd vessel of the Marine Protector Class of Coast Guard Patrol Boats. Built in 2005, by Bollinger Shipyards Inc. of Lockport, La., this vessel employs the latest technological advances in navigation and marine technology. Sea Otter was commissioned on the October 13, 2005, after a 5,000 nautical mile voyage from Louisiana. Since its arrival to the west coast Sea Otter has actively patrolled from the United States/Mexican border to San Francisco and offshore up to 200 nautical miles. Sea Otter’s primary missions include Search and Rescue, Homeland Security, and Law Enforcement.
SEA OTTER has participated in numerous joint operations with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and other law enforcement agencies. Strong working relationships with other agencies and the ability to perform numerous different missions has made SEA OTTER a key asset in the San Diego area.
