CLEVELAND – Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Cleveland held a change-of-command ceremony at the Coast Guard’s Cleveland Moorings facility Friday.
Lt. Cmdr. Michael J. Dougherty relieved Cmdr. J. Wade Russell as commanding officer during the ceremony, presided over by Capt. Brian Roche, commander of Sector Buffalo, New York.
Russell was the commanding officer of MSU Cleveland since July 2013 and is moving on to Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown, Virginia, as the chief of marine safety, where he will be responsible for the oversight of the training program for Coast Guard personnel seeking a career in the marine safety field.
Dougherty was previously assigned as executive officer of Marine Safety Unit Houma, Louisiana.
MSU Cleveland is northeast Ohio’s federal maritime safety and regulatory authority. The unit’s area of responsibility stretches from the Pennsylvania-Ohio state line to Vermilion, Ohio, along Lake Erie and as far south as Akron, Ohio. Annually the unit responds to more than 150 marine environmental pollution cases, conducts dozens of vessel security boardings and examinations, and executes all commercial vessel inspections and investigations of marine casualties. MSU Cleveland is staffed with 40 active duty and reserve personnel.
For further questions please contact Lt. Stephanie Pitts at 216-937-0128.