U.S. Coast Guard Cdr. Brian Chapman relieved Cdr. Robert Hill as the 33rd commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Reliance (WMEC 615) during a change of command ceremony Thursday, July 14, 2022.
Capt. Brian Anderson, chief of operations for Coast Guard Atlantic Area, presided over the ceremony.
Hill has served as the commanding officer since June 2020, and is due to report to the Joint Interagency Task Force-South in Key West, Fla., as a maritime operations officer. Over the course of his career, he accumulated more than 12 years of sea duty aboard six cutters, commanding two of them.
“To the officers, chiefs and crew of Reliance, thank you all for the hard work you have done over these last two years in the most challenging of conditions,” said Hill. “Take pride in knowing that what you did while we were out at sea mattered. You’ve made a difference and continue to do so. I thank you all and wish you the very best going forward.”
Chapman most recently served as the Coast Guard advisor to the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs in Washington, D.C., where he acted as the designated competent national authority responsible for the U.S. enactment of the United Nations 1988 Drug and Suppression of Unlawful Acts Conventions.
“I am greatly humbled by this opportunity to command Reliance and look forward to the challenges, rewards, relationships, and experiences that lay ahead,” said Chapman. “While on the older side of cutters and on the eve of replacement by newer and more capable platforms, Reliance continues to be a capable asset ready to respond to our Nation’s needs.”
Reliance is homeported in Pensacola and is currently conducting maintenance and training to prepare for deployment. Reliance patrols the Atlantic Ocean and is capable of carrying out a broad range of Coast Guard missions.
The change-of-command ceremony is a time-honored military tradition that marks the transfer of total responsibility and authority from one individual to another. It demonstrates a continuation of trust and authority within the chain of command.
