Capt. Michael Kahle relieved Capt. Matthew Thompson as the commander of Sector St. Petersburg, Friday, during a change of command ceremony at the Port of Tampa.
Capt. Jeffery K. Randall, the Coast Guard Seventh District chief of staff, presided over the ceremony where local, state, and federal dignitaries were in attendance.
Following the change of command ceremony, Adm. Karl Schultz, 26th commandant of the Coast Guard, presided over Capt. Thompson’s retirement ceremony. Thompson is retiring after 30 years of service that included five afloat tours, several staff tours, and two positions of command. Before earning his commission as an officer, Thompson was enlisted as a quartermaster.
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve the citizens of Florida and to work with the Tampa Bay maritime community,” said Thompson. “The men and women of Sector St. Petersburg are the most capable and professional Coast Guardsmen I have served with, and I am proud to have been their sector commander.”
Capt. Kahle recently served as a Secretary of defense executive fellow, assigned to the global nonprofit Team Rubicon, in Los Angeles, California, and will be accompanied by his wife and family.
The change of command ceremony is a time-honored tradition. It represents a total transfer of responsibility, authority and accountability from one individual to another.
Sector St. Petersburg’s area of responsibility covers more than 400 miles of Florida coastline from Apalachicola Bay to Everglades City and includes Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor and the Intracoastal Waterway. Sector’s crew conducts marine environmental protection, marine safety and maritime security operations, while also providing logistical support and operational control for Coast Guard units conducting search and rescue and maritime law enforcement missions.
