The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752) command held a change of command ceremony, Monday, at Base Honolulu, presided over by Rear Adm. Matthew Sibley, Pacific Area deputy commander.
Capt. Brian Krautler relieved Capt. Stephen Adler as the new commanding officer of the Stratton.
The Stratton and crew sailed on three deployments since Adler took command in 2021, including patrolling the U.S. Arctic region, to the southern Pacific, near Fiji, Tahiti, and Papua New Guinea for an Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated Fishing patrol and to uphold rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.
“It is hard to imagine after 27 years in the United States Coast Guard this will be my last tour at sea, but commanding Stratton is the highlight of my career and my highest honor,” said Adler. “I look forward to hearing about the crew’s accomplishments as they sail west to ensure the Indo-Pacific region remains free and open to all. The crew has and will continue to live up to the ship’s motto of, ‘We Can’t Afford Not To.’”
The change of command ceremony is a time-honored tradition, which formally reinstates the continuity of the authority vested in the commanding officer. This unique ceremony represents a total transfer of responsibility, authority, and accountability
The Stratton is a 418-foot national security cutter (NSC) capable of extended, worldwide deployment in support of homeland security and defense missions. NSCs routinely conduct operations across the Pacific, where their unmatched combination of range, speed, and ability to operate in extreme weather provides the mission flexibility necessary to conduct vital strategic missions.
