SAN FRANCISCO — The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle (WIX 327) held a change of command ceremony, Friday, at Pier 17.
Capt. Kristopher Ensley relieved Capt. Jessica Rozzi-Ochs as commanding officer of the Eagle during the ceremony, which was presided over by Vice Adm. Nathan Moore, commander of Coast Guard Atlantic Area.
"The Eagle is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the next generation of the Coast Guard’s officer corps, and I am so thankful to have been a part of it," Rozzi-Ochs said. "The American people need the technical expertise and hands-on training this unit offers to provide the best and most qualified leaders of our maritime service."
Rozzi-Ochs' next position will be the assistant superintendent at the Coast Guard Academy.
“I am deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Eagle’s next commanding officer, building on the excellence and superior training already demonstrated by this remarkable crew," Ensley said. "I look forward to growing and continuing our great legacy aboard America’s best and only active square-rigger.”
Ensley previously served as the operations officer aboard the Eagle with his latest assignment at the Coast Guard Office of Congressional Affairs.
The change of command ceremony marks the transfer of total responsibility and authority from one individual to another. It is a time-honored tradition conducted before the assembled crew, as well as honored guests and dignitaries, to formally demonstrate the continuity of authority within a command.
At 295 feet in length, Eagle is the largest tall ship flying the stars and stripes and the only active square-rigger in United States government service. Constructed in 1936 by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, and originally commissioned as the Horst Wessel by the German Navy, Eagle was a war reparation for the United States following World War II. Eagle is a three-masted barque with more than 22,300 square feet of sail and six miles of rigging. Eagle has served as a classroom at sea to future Coast Guard officers since 1946, offering an at-sea leadership and professional development experience as part of the Coast Guard Academy.
For a continuous stream of information about Eagle, including port cities, tour schedules, current events, as well as cadet and active duty crewmember photographs, follow the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle on Facebook and Instagram. All U.S. Coast Guard imagery is in the public domain and can be shared widely.