A long-held tradition of the Coast Guard’s 228-year history was on display Friday morning at the Ketchikan Coast Guard Station, where command of the ship U.S. Coast Guard Cutter John McCormick was handed over to a new captain.
In the change of command ceremony, Lieutenant Michael Moyseowicz was relieved of his duties. He led his crew for two years patrolling the waters of Southeast Alaska. During that time, the crew saved 10 people and recovered more than $1 million in property.
Bidding farewell to Moyseowicz means a lot to the crew because he was a part of launching the brand new John McCormick into the water and guiding it from Louisiana to Alaska.
“This crew, this captain — he was the originator of this ship. So, for us, having done everything from bringing this ship to life from starting operations in Ketchikan, saying goodbye to him is a challenge, but it’s exciting,” Ship Operations Manager Hailey Thompson said.
Moyseowicz is headed to China to be a linguist for the Coast Guard. Taking his place is Lieutenant Tim Ozimek from Washington, D.C. Ozimek and Moyseowicz were in the same platoon together in the Coast Guard Academy back in 2005.
KRBD will have more from Friday’s ceremony early next week.
