Coast Guard welcomes new commander

SAN DIEGO – Lt. Cmdr. Eric M. Cooper relieved Lt. Cmdr. Rosemary P. Firestine as commanding officer of Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) San Diego 91109 during a change of command Ceremony June 9, 2010.

During the ceremony, Cooper assumed command responsibilities from Firestine as commanding officer of MSST 91109, as Capt. Mark Hemann of the Deployable Operations Group (DOG) out of Washington, D.C., presided over the ceremony.

Cooper is reporting to the MSST from United States Northern Command, where he served as a maritime planner and Crisis Action Team member on all operational matters in the Future Operations Division. Firestine will be reporting to the Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kan.

The change of command ceremony is a time-honored tradition, which formally restates that the continuity of command will be maintained. It is a formal ritual, conducted before the assembled company of the command. It conveys to the officers, enlisted personnel, civilian employees, and auxiliarists of the Coast Guard that although the authority of command is relinquished by one person and is assumed by another, it is still maintained without interruption.

The Maritime Safety and Security Team is part of the Department of Homeland Security's layered strategy directed at protecting our seaports and waterways. MSSTs provide waterborne and a modest level of shoreside anti-terrorism force protection for strategic shipping, high interest vessels and critical infrastructure. These units are a quick-response force capable of rapid, nationwide deployment via air, ground or sea transportation in response to changing threat conditions and evolving Maritime Homeland Security mission requirements. MSST personnel receive training in advance tactical boat operations and anti-terrorism force protection at the Special Missions Training Center located at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Please click on the links before for imagery of the ceremony.

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=901480
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=901483

For Video, please click the link below:

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=901789

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