PADUCAH, Ky. — Cmdr. Mark Sawyer relieved Capt. Rob McLellan as Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Paducah in an official change-of-command ceremony, Tuesday.
McLellan assumed command of Marine Safety Unit Paducah in 2012, and will become the deputy commander of Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston.
As commanding officer, McLellan oversaw Coast Guard commercial vessel safety, port safety and security, and marine environmental protection across parts of the Ohio, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers, including leading the Coast Guard response to the extreme low water event in 2012.
Sawyer is a graduated of Marshall University, South Alabama University, and U.S. Coast Guard Officer Candidate School. His previous assignments in the Coast Guard include operational Prevention tours in Savannah, GA, Huntington, WV, and Mobile, AL, and he also served as the National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program Assistant Program Manager at Coast Guard Headquarters, and as an instructor at the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden.
The change-of-command ceremony is a time-honored tradition and deeply rooted in Coast Guard and Naval history. The event signifies a total transfer of responsibility, authority and accountability for the command.