Coast Guard Lt. Daniel Ippolito relieves Lt. Kurt Mees as the commanding officer of Coast Guard Station South Padre Island during a change-of-command ceremony in South Padre Island, Texas, July 10, 2020. U.S. Coast Guard photo
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Coast Guard Lt. Daniel Ippolito relieved Lt. Kurt Mees as the commanding officer of Coast Guard Station South Padre Island during a change-of-command ceremony in South Padre Island, Texas, Friday.
Capt. Edward Gaynor, commander of Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi, presided over the ceremony.
Ippolito is reporting from Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he served on the executive support staff for the Deputy Commandant for Operations.
Station South Padre Island is a multi-mission station capable of conducting search and rescue, law enforcement, security and environmental protection operations. The station plays a critical role in preventing threatened fish stocks from being poached by unregulated foreign fishing vessels along the U.S./Mexico maritime boundary line. Station South Padre Island has had a life-saving presence along the Gulf of Mexico for the last 83 years. The original station, located on the north end of Brazos Island, Texas was established in 1881.
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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