Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago holds Change-of-Command ceremony

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 9th District Great Lakes Contact: Lt. Kate Woods Office: (630) 986-2156 9th District online newsroom

Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago holds Change-of-Command ceremony

 

 Editors' Note: Click on images to download high resolution version of the video and stills. 

 

CHICAGO  — Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago held a change-of-command ceremony during which time leadership and command of the unit was transferred, Friday.

Cmdr. Randy Preston relieved Cmdr. Zeita Merchant as the commanding officer of the Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago at the ceremony held at the Union League Club of Chicago.

Capt. Thomas Stuhlreyer, commander, Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan, presided over the event.

Preston is arriving in Chicago from New Orleans, where he was the chief of the Coast Guard Investigations National Center of Expertise. Bringing 14 years of operations ashore experience, his previous tours include supervisor of Marine Safety Detachment Lewes, Delaware, prevention department head of Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh, and chief of the Inspections Division at Marine Safety Unit Galveston.

Merchant will transfer to Harvard University where she will serve as a National Security Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

Marine Safety Unit Chicago comprises of 44 active duty, reserve and civilian personnel. It serves an active network of domestic and international maritime interests covering the Lake Michigan shorelines of Illinois and Indiana, as well as 186 miles of the Illinois River System segmented by seven locks and more than 250 bridges.

Marine Safety Unit Chicago’s area of responsibility includes a fleet of 201 inspected vessels and 118 regulated waterfront facilities. The unit is also responsible for administering the Coast Guard’s programs for commercial vessel safety management, marine environmental response, port safety and security, and waterways management.

The change of command ceremony is a time-honored tradition representing the total transfer of responsibility, authority, and accountability from one individual to another. The event ensures the continuity of leadership and operations within the MSU Chicago area of responsibility.

For more information, please contact Lt. Kate Woods at 630-986-2156 or MSUChicago@uscg.mil.

 

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