Crewmembers of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Hickory held a change-of-command ceremony at the Pioneer Pier in Homer on Thursday.
Rear Adm. Nathan A. Moore presided over the ceremony, where Cmdr. Jeannette M. Greene transferred the command of the Coast Guard Cutter Hickory to Lt. Cmdr. Shea G. Winterberger. As the commanding officer of the Hickory, Winterberger will be responsible for the nearly 50 personnel, who oversee the maintenance of more than 170 buoys and beacons from Kachemak Bay to as far west as the Kuskokwim River.
Most recently, Winterberger was at the Office of Budget and Programs at the Coast Guard Headquarters, where she served as the Surface and Air Capabilities Program Reviewer. There, she was responsible for policy analysis and budget formulation for cutter, aviation, and unmanned systems operations, the examination of future capability requirements, as well as the service’s research and development program, which represents $1.5 billion of the Coast Guard’s budget.
U.S. Coast Guard District 17
(Left to right) Coast Guard Cmdr. Jeannette M. Greene, Rear Adm. Nathan A. Moore, and Lt. Cmdr. Shea G. Winterberger pose in front of the Coast Guard Cutter Hickory in Homer, Alaska, on May 19, 2022.
Greene will assume command of the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw in Cheboygan, Mich.
A change-of-command ceremony marks a transfer of total responsibility and authority from one individual to another. It is a time-honored tradition conducted before the assembled crew, as well as honored guests and dignitaries to formally demonstrate the continuity of the authority within a command.