The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Active (WMEC 618) and crew held a change of command ceremony, Wednesday, in Port Angeles.
Cmdr. Adam Disque relieved Cmdr. Brian Tesson as Active’s 30th commanding officer during the ceremony. Vice Adm. Andrew Tiongson, commander Coast Guard Pacific Area, presided over the ceremony.
Tesson served as Active’s commanding officer from May of 2021 to June of 2023. Under Tesson’s command, Active deployed multiple times to the Eastern Pacific and along the Oregon-Washington coast conducting counternarcotic operations and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. Under his leadership, the crew conducted 62 different boardings documenting 14 violations. Amid these boardings, Tesson led the crew through the multi-day search and rescue of the motor yacht Domani gaining national recognition across various news and social media platforms.
During the ship’s 2021-2023 counternarcotic patrols in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the crew interdicted a combined five drug-laden smuggling vessels carrying over 3,911 kilograms of contraband valued at $125 million. Tesson also oversaw multiple strategic maritime engagements with our allies, the Canadians, and Mexicans in a strong effort to improve diplomatic relations.
Tesson will continue to develop these relations in his next assignment as the Coast Guard’s attaché to the American Embassy in Mexico.
“Despite all of the challenges that come with command afloat, these past two years have been the highlight of my Coast Guard career,” said Tesson. “I couldn’t have been assigned to a better ship or finer crew – they deserve all of the credit for our past and continued success.”
Disque reports to the Active from Coast Guard Headquarters in the Office of Budget and Programs where he was responsible for managing and evaluating policy, external communication, and resource initiatives for the offices of Cutter Forces, Aviation Forces, Requirements and Analysis, and Research and Development. Disque started his military career in the Army as a medic before enlisting in the Coast Guard and attending Officer Candidate School. Active will be Disque’s fourth cutter and his second command. His tours ashore have been focused on law enforcement operations serving in such roles as officer in charge of the Tactical Law Enforcement Team in Miami, where he led the deployable specialized force unit in their counternarcotics operations around the world. Disque also served as the Coast Guard 11th District’s Living Marine Resource officer where he oversaw enforcement operations and fisheries management throughout the Central Pacific.
Commissioned in 1966, the Active, known as “The Li’l Tough Guy,” is one of three medium endurance cutters homeported on the West Coast and is the oldest of all the Pacific Area major cutters. The service’s medium endurance cutter fleet supports all of the Coast Guard’s law enforcement, living marine resource, and search and rescue missions throughout the world.
