Lt.j.g. Kiana Kekoa relieved Lt. Nolan Salyer as the commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Tern in a change-of-command ceremony held at Coast Guard Sector San Francisco, July 27, 2020. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. Pantelis Vasilarakis)
SAN FRANCISCO — Several Coast Guard Sector San Francisco units held change-of-command ceremonies this summer, welcoming new commanding officers and officers in charge to the Northern California region.
In all, five Sector San Francisco units changed command:
- Coast Guard Station Bodega Bay – Chief Petty Officer James Corbisiero relieved Master Chief Petty Officer Jeremiah Wolf on May 13
- Coast Guard Station Rio Vista – Chief Petty Officer Michael Bennett relieved Senior Chief Petty Officer Samuel Meints on June 25
- Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team (ANT) San Francisco – Chief Petty Officer Jason Satter relieved Chief Petty Officer Marcelino Ortiz on June 26
- Coast Guard Station Vallejo – Chief Joshua Hollyfield relieved Senior Chief Jason Albert on July 10
- Coast Guard Cutter Tern – Lt.j.g. Kiana Kekoa relieved Lt. Nolan Salyer on July 27
The change-of-command ceremony is a time-honored event preserved by the heritage of naval tradition. It is a custom that is formal, follows military protocol and is designed to strengthen the respect for the continuity of command that is vital to military organization. The culmination of the ceremony is reached when both officers read their orders, face one another, salute and transfer responsibility for the command. This provides the entire command with the knowledge that the officer, directed by proper authority, is taking command and provides an opportunity to witness this transfer of responsibility.
Sector San Francisco is made up of more than 850 active, reserve and civilian personnel operating four cutters, seven search-and-rescue stations, an aids-to-navigation team, a vessel traffic service and a marine safety detachment. The sector’s area of responsibility spans from the Oregon border south to San Luis Obispo and includes more than 2,500 miles of shoreline.
Sector San Francisco small boat stations are multi-mission capable. Their primary missions include search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, homeland security, and boating safety. Each unit has an average of 30 Coast Guard members and a variety of assets ranging from 29-foot Response Boat-Smalls, 45-foot Response Boat-Mediums, and 47-foot Motor Lifeboats.
Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team San Francisco is responsible for ensuring the operations of buoys, fixed aids, and lighthouses. Their area of responsibility ranges north from Bodega Bay to as far south as Point Sur, and as far west from the Farallon Islands to Lake Tahoe in the east. ANT San Francisco has an average of 14 members and utilizes two 26-foot Trailerable Aids to Navigation Boats.
Coast Guard Cutter Tern is an 87-foot Marine Protector Class patrol boat based out of Coast Guard Sector San Francisco. The Tern has an average of 14 crewmembers whose primary missions include search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, and homeland security in an area that ranges from Mendocino County to the United States-Mexico border.
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