YORKTOWN, Va. — Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown held a change of command ceremony Thursday, in Yorktown.
Capt. Reed Stephenson relinquished command to Capt. Jay Vann. The ceremony also marked the retirement of Stephenson after 25 years of service to the Coast Guard.
A military unit’s change of command is a time-honored tradition where total responsibility, authority and accountability of a military unit transfers from one individual to another.
Prior to this assignment, Vann served as the Coast Guard Atlantic Area future operations chief from May 2013 to June 2015. Between 2012 and 2013, he was Coast Guard Atlantic Area’s cutter forces chief. Vann served several tours aboard Coast Guard cutters, including tours as the commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutters Harriet Lane and Assateague. Vann is a 1992 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. He holds a Master of Science degree in instructional systems from Florida State University.
Stephenson reported as the commanding officer of Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown in June of 2012. His previous assignments include deputy director for training and evaluation at the White House military office and chief of training at Coast Guard Training Center Petaluma. Stephenson is a 1990 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marine transportation. He holds a Master of Management degree from Aquinas College and a Master of Arts degree in education from San Diego State University. After 25 years of service, Stephenson retires from military service to accept a position with U. S. Customs and Border Protection.
Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown’s mission is to forge today’s force to execute tomorrow’s mission. With a staff of more than 800 active duty, civilian and contract personnel, the training center delivers training, assessment and doctrine support services to more than 22,000 Coast Guard students and more than 1,100 international students annually through resident, non-resident and exportable training. The unit houses 17 Coast Guard schools that teach more than 22 different courses in subject areas including search and rescue, aids to navigation, operational intelligence, maritime safety and environmental protection, cutter and boat operations and weapons and gunnery.