Office of External Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: June 18, 2008

Contact:  Lt. Leon McClain, Jr.
(901) 521-4845

** CORRECTED COPY **

SECTOR LOWER MISSISSIPPI TO HOLD CHANGE OF COMMAND

What: Change of command ceremony for Sector Lower Mississippi River

Who: Cmdr. Patrick J. Maguire will be relieved by Capt. Michael S. Gardiner

Where: Tunica River Park, 1 Riverpark Drive, Tunica Resorts, Miss.

When: June 20 at 10:30 a.m. (Media members are asked to arrive by 9:45 a.m.)

Media Note: Media members planning on attending this event are asked to contact Lt. Leon McClain, at (901) 521-4845 by 3 p.m., Thursday, June 19. 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Coast Guard Cmdr. Patrick J. Maguire will transfer command of Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River to Capt. Michael S. Gardiner in a change-of-command ceremony at Tunica Park, Friday, June 20, at 10:30 a.m.

Maguire has served as commanding officer of Sector Lower Mississippi since July, 2005.  Rear Adm. Joel R. Whitehead, commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, is scheduled to preside over the event.  

Sector Lower Mississippi River performs all Coast Guard missions across five states and 2,000 miles of Western Rivers, including 788 miles of the economically vital Mississippi River.  The crew consists of 228 personnel among eight geographic locations and aboard seven aids-to-navigation vessels.  As Sector Commander, Maguire served as Captain of the Port, officer in charge, federal on-scene coordinator, search and rescue mission coordinator, and federal maritime security coordinator to execute the full range of responsibilities, including marine inspections, maritime law enforcement, and extensive outreach to industry and federal, state and local government agencies. Maguire's departure from Sector Lower Mississippi leads him to Alameda, Calif., where he will serve as chief of the Prevention Division at Coast Guard District Eleven.

Captain Gardiner is reporting from Coast Guard Sector New York, where he served as deputy commander for the largest Coast Guard operational field command on the East Coast, responsible for all Coast Guard security, safety and environmental protection missions in an area that included the Port of New York/New Jersey - the nations third largest port.

The change-of-command is a time-honored event preserved by the rich heritage of naval tradition. It is a formal custom that is designed to strengthen the respect of authority, which is vital to any military organization.