JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The crew of Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville held a change of command ceremony, Wednesday, at the Jacksonville Public Library.
During the ceremony, Capt. Janet D. Espino-Young transferred command of Sector Jacksonville to Capt. Jason C. Aleksak.
Rear Adm. Douglas M. Schofield, commander of the Southeast Coast Guard District, presided over the ceremony.
The change of command ceremony marks a 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 the authority within a command.
Espino-Young served as the commander of Sector Jacksonville since July 2022 and oversaw 845 search and rescue cases, saving or assisting 1,370 lives, and preserving nearly $33.5 million in property. She directed efforts to secure critical infrastructure, protect national defense assets and enhance port security, including a cyber and physical security response that led to national policy changes. Espino-Young also spearheaded Coast Guard support to the rapidly growing space and liquefied natural gas industries, introduced forward-leaning regulatory frameworks and served as incident commander for six hurricane responses.
Espino-Young's next assignment will be Deputy Director of Marine Transportation System Management at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Aleksak comes to Jacksonville from Coast Guard Headquarters, where he held the position of Chief of the Office of Boat Forces.
“It is an absolute honor to assume command of Sector Jacksonville and join an exceptional team in service to the maritime communities of southern Georgia and northeast Florida,” said Aleksak. “I’m committed to reinforcing our strong partnerships with maritime industry leaders and federal, state, and local partners to ensure the safety and security of our ports and waterways, while upholding our enduring search and rescue mission.”
Sector Jacksonville is comprised of more than 520 active-duty, reserve and civilian personnel, and more than 600 auxiliarists. The sector has three small boat stations, five cutters and two aids to navigation teams. Sector Jacksonville is the operational commander for Coast Guard missions in the south Georgia and north Florida region, providing national security, maritime security and economic security for inland and coastal waterways as well as transit zones into the U.S.
Sector Jacksonville’s area of responsibility extends from Kings Bay, Georgia, to Malabar, Florida, covering 40,000 square miles of ocean and inland waterways, including 190 miles of coastline, 248 miles of the Intracoastal Waterway and 161 miles of the St. Johns River.
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