PHOTO AVAILABLE: Coast Guard Cutter Sturgeon holds change-of-command ceremony in Corpus Christi, Texas

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Contact: Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi Texas public affairs office (361) 438-0176 PA Detachment Texas online newsroom

Coast Guard Cutter Sturgeon holds change-of-command ceremony in Corpus Christi, Texas

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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Matthew Statkus relieved Lt. Andrew Ellis as the commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Sturgeon during a change-of-command ceremony held at the Coast Guard Harbor Facility in Corpus Christi, Texas, Friday.

Capt. Edward Gaynor, commander of Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi, presided over the ceremony.

Statkus is reporting from Portsmouth, Va., where he served as a deck watch officer aboard the 270-foot Coast Guard Cutter Bear, a Famous-class medium endurance cutter.

The Sturgeon is a multi-mission vessel capable of conducting search and rescue, law enforcement, security, and environmental protection operations. The Sturgeon 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. As the Coast Guard continues to modernize its fleet, the ability of the command and crew to perform a range of domestic and military operations is increasingly essential.

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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