Coast Guard Pacific Zone hosts change of command ceremony – Homeland Security Today

The US Coast Guard’s Pacific Zone Command held a change of command ceremony at the Alameda Coast Guard Base on Wednesday.

Coast Guard Commander Adm. Karl L. Schultz presided over the ceremony, where Vice Admiral. Michael F. McAllister relieved the Rear Adm. Peter W. Gautier as Commander of the Pacific Area.

Gautier has served as the Pacific Zone Acting Commander since June 16, when he took command from Admiral Linda Fagan. Gautier will resume his duties as deputy commander of the Pacific zone.

“It has been an honor to ensure continued command of the Coast Guard Pacific Zone during a dynamic transition from Admiral Fagan to Vice Admiral McAllister,” said Gautier. “I look forward to working with Vice-Admiral McAllister to advance operations in the Pacific region and demonstrate our commitment to serving our communities around the Pacific. “

Fagan was appointed by President Joe Biden on April 19 to the post of Vice Commander of the Coast Guard. She was confirmed on June 17, making her the first female Coast Guard to be promoted to the rank of admiral.

Since 2018, McAllister has served as the Deputy Commander of Mission Support at US Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC, where he led a 17,000-person organization that provides the systems and people that enable the US Coast Guard to carry out its operational missions effectively and efficiently. . “I am honored and honored to serve as the Pacific Zone Commander,” McAllister said. “It is clear that the Pacific Zone team defended and protected the vital interests of our country. We will continue to ensure the safety and security of our nation’s Pacific and Arctic waters through operational leadership, strong partnerships and ensuring the workforce is a diverse and inclusive environment. which facilitates personal and professional growth.

McAllister attended the United States Coast Guard Academy, where he graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. In 1991, he obtained a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and, in 2004, a Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a member of the Sloan Fellows program.

Pacific Area Command is the Coast Guard’s regional command element and force provider for maritime safety, security and stewardship throughout the Pacific. The command’s area of ​​responsibility encompasses six continents, 71 countries and more than 74 million square miles of ocean.

The change of command ceremony is a historic military tradition. The event, which has remained unchanged for centuries, includes a reading of command orders in the presence of all unit crew members to ensure continuity of command.

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