Rear Adm. John Nadeau, Eighth Coast Guard District commander, presides as Capt. Jason Smith relieves Capt. Kevin Oditt as commanding officer of Sector Houston-Galveston during a change-of-command ceremony June 12, 2020. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Paige Hause)
HOUSTON – Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston held a change-of-command ceremony at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Houston, Texas, Friday.
Rear Adm. John Nadeau, Eighth Coast Guard District commander, presided over the ceremony as Capt. Jason Smith relieved Capt. Kevin Oditt as commanding officer of Sector Houston-Galveston during a change of command and retirement ceremony.
Capt. Smith was previously assigned as the deputy sector commander of Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi. In this position, he served as the alternate Captain of the Port, officer-in-charge of Marine Inspection, Federal Maritime Security Coordinator, and federal on-scene coordinator for South Texas.
Capt. Oditt retired after 28 years of service to the Coast Guard. His previous assignments included Marine Safety Office Port Arthur marine inspector, Marine Safety Office Tampa chief of inspections, Sector Long Island Sound chief of prevention, Coast Guard Headquarter’s Office of Design and Engineering Standards, and Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance division chief.
Sector Houston-Galveston supports a wide range of Coast Guard operations to include marine environmental protection, aids to navigation, ports, waterways, law enforcement, and search and rescue. Sector Houston-Galveston encompasses an expansive area extending from the east bank of the Colorado River in southwest Texas to 60 miles east of Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Sector’s northern boundary aligns with the Texas-Oklahoma border and encompasses Lake Texoma. The southern portion extends 200 nautical miles from shore, to the seaward extent of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone.
The change-of-command ceremony is a time-honored tradition and deeply rooted in Coast Guard and Naval history. The event signifies a total transfer of responsibility, authority, and accountability of the command.
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