USCG’s Change of Watch Ceremony took place yesterday in Alexandria, Va., as Master Chief Petty Officer Steven W. Cantrell was relieved by Master Chief Jason Vanderhaden as the Master Chief Petty Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Vanderhaden will be the 13th MCPOCG, as Cantrell retires after more than 35 years distinguished service.
The ceremony saw Vanderhaden put to the jacket of the MCPOCG, to symbolize the Change of Watch and the beginning of his new role. Vanderhaden enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1988, and has held multiple Command Master Chief assignments which include Base Honolulu, the Thirteenth Coast Guard District, and Coast Guard Pacific Area. He assumed the duties as the Command Master Chief for the Deputy Commandant for Mission Support (DCMS) in June 2016.
Colleagues paid tribute to Cantrell’s many years of service at the ceremony, with the retired MCPOCG described as “a visionary leader who championed the development of the enlisted leadership continuum.”
“With each Change of Watch there begins a new era of hope and opportunity to continue to make a difference in the lives of our talented workforce and the families that love and support them,” Cantrell told the assembled guests.
After putting on the jacket symbolizing the Change of Watch, Vanderhaden said, “I’m really looking forward to the next 4 years! We have tremendous opportunities in front of us. Like our president said… we continue to demonstrate our value to the nation and will be ready to answer any call.”
Commandant of USCG, Admiral Paul Zukunft, also spoke about changing leadership at the ceremony. “The entire leadership team of the Coast Guard is changing out over the next two weeks,” he said. “But what will not change is the inertia and the momentum that the Coast Guard has.”
Watch the full ceremony here.
