Joint Base Charleston, S.C. –
The United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Hamilton (WMSL 753) held a change of command at U.S. Coast Guard Base Charleston, S.C., July 23, 2021.
Capt. Matthew T. Brown relieved Capt. Timothy P. Cronin as commander, USCGC Hamilton.
Vice Adm. Steven D. Poulin, commander, U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, served as the keynote speaker of the ceremony. During his remarks, he showed gratitude for the Hamilton’s crew.
“To all hands on Hamilton, I thank you for a job well done,” said Poulin. “I thank you for your continuing contributions to our service and our country. I am proud of the work that you do each and every day for our nation.”
Capt. Cronin served as the Hamilton’s commanding officer from 2019 to 2021. He received a Legion of Merit award for his time.
“There is more goodness that makes this the best crew and ship in the Coast Guard,” said Cronin. “For starters, Hamilton never missed an operational commitment. Because of this crew’s dedication to the mission and each other, we were exactly where we needed to be for every mission and every task.”
Capt. Brown is taking command after completing a tour as the Chief of Officer Personnel Management at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“I am humbled to assume the duties as the Hamilton’s new commanding officer and extraordinarily grateful for the support shown by those in attendance today,” said Brown. “To the crew: you show spectacular enthusiasm, work ethic and responsibility. Thank you for the time you took to introduce yourself in your area of expertise this last week. The ship is solid; you are extremely focused.”
The Hamilton returned to its homeport of Charleston following a 3-month European deployment in support of the U.S. Navy’s Sixth Fleet, June 4, 2021.
The USCGC Hamilton was commissioned on December 6, 2014 in downtown Charleston, S.C. It is the U.S. Coast Guard’s fourth Legend-class vessel and the sixth cutter to be named after Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton is considered the “Father of the Coast Guard” for establishing the Revenue Cutter Service as the secretary of the treasury in 1790.
A change of command ceremony is a time-honored tradition formally communicating the continuity of command authority to the members of the command.