Coast Guard Cutter Chase to hold change of Command

DATE: June 10, 2009 12:36:22 PM PDT

Coast Guard Public Affairs Detachment San Diego

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News Release

Date: June 10, 2009 Contact: ENS Grant Johnson

Coast Guard Cutter Chase to hold change of command

SAN DIEGO — The Command of Coast Guard Cutter Chase is scheduled be transferred from Capt. Brian Perkins to Capt. Greg Sanial June 11 in a change of command ceremony being held at the Naval Base San Diego at 10 a.m.

Sanial graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1988 with a Batchelor of Science with high honors in marine engineering. He earned a Master of Science in management from the Sloan School of Management at MIT. He also earned a master's degree in business administration with a dual emphasis in finance and operations management from the Smeal College of Business Administration at Pennsylvania State University, and a Master of Arts Degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College.

Senial is coming from the Deputy Office Chief in the Office of Planning and Performance on the staff of the Assistant Commandant for Resources and Chief Financial Officer at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Sanial’s prior commands include commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Forward out of Portsmouth, Va., the Cutter Attu out of San Juan, Puerto Rico and the Cutter Point Whitehorn.

The captain’s military awards include three meritorious service medals, four Coast Guard Commendation medals, the joint service achievement medal, the commandant's letter of commendation ribbon, the armed forces expeditionary medal and the bicentennial unit commendation.

Senial is married and has two daughters.

Perkins, a native of Thomaston, Maine, graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1981. He earned a master’s degree in business administration in finance from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Perkins’ military awards include three meritorious service medals, four commendation medals and an achievement medal, all with operational distinguishing devices.

He is married and has four sons.

Perkins is transferring to Coast Guard Headquarters to take charge of the Office of Cutter Forces.

During the past two years while under Perkins' command, the 41-year-old cutter completed three 90-day patrols to the Eastern Pacific ocean in support of counter-drug missions. During his tenure the Chase seized more than 25,000 pounds of cocaine and 15,000 pounds of marijuana, worth an estimated $400 million.

The change-of-command ceremony is a time-honored event preserved by the rich heritage of naval tradition. It is a formal custom that is designed to strengthen the respect of authority, which is vital to any military organization.

The ceremony culminates when both officers read their orders, face one another and salute. This signifies to the entire command that the transfer of responsibility has formally taken place.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Media are invited to attend the ceremony and must arrive no later than 9:30 a.m. For more information, please call ENS. Grant Johnson at (619) 556-6530.

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