CLEVELAND — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock, homeported in Port Huron, Michigan, is scheduled to hold a change-of-command ceremony at 11 a.m. Friday at the Coast Guard moorings at Waterworks pier in Port Huron.
During the ceremony, Lt. Cmdr. Molly Waters will relieve Cmdr. Justin Kimura.
Waters is coming from the emerging policy staff under the Deputy Commandant for Operations at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Kimura will become the visual aids-to-navigation division chief at the Office of Navigation Systems at Coast Guard Headquarters.
The change-of-command ceremony is a time-honored tradition of the rich heritage of naval history. It is a naval custom, without equivalent counterpart in the Army or Air Force. Custom has established that this ceremony be formal and impressive, designed to strengthen respect for authority, which is vital to any military organization. Parading all hands at quarters and public reading of official orders stem from those days when movement of mail and persons was a very slow process. The procedure was designed to ensure that only duty authorized officers held command and that all aboard were aware of the order’s authenticity. The change of command is a transfer of total responsibility, authority and accountability from one individual to another.
Media with questions or interested in attending should contact Lt. j.g. Daniel Valenti no later than 3 p.m. Thursday at Daniel.A.Valenti@uscg.mil.