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PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. — The crew of Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Canaveral held a change of command ceremony, Friday, at Cruise Terminal 6 in Port Canaveral.
During the ceremony, Cmdr. Sarah Brennan transferred command of MSU Port Canaveral to Cmdr. Matthew Zinn.
Rear Adm. Wayne Arguin, Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy, 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.
Brennan served as the commander of MSU Port Canaveral since July 2023. Her notable accomplishments included oversight of the nation’s first simultaneous fueling of liquified natural gas to two separate cruise ships in the same port and the initial certification of the Blue Origin’s Landing Platform Vessel #1, ensuring compliance with its unique design basis agreement standards. Additionally, her crew provided Coast Guard support for over 150 successful rocket launches and the testing of U.S. Army and Navy hypersonic missiles.
“It has been the greatest honor of my Coast Guard career to lead alongside this crew as your commanding officer,” said Brennan. “Your professionalism, dedication and tireless commitment to excellence have been the foundation of our success together. I would also like to extend my deepest gratitude to the Port Canaveral community for their unwavering cooperation and steadfast partnership throughout my time here. Thank you all for making this command and my final tour in the Coast Guard so remarkable.”
Following the ceremony, Brennan retired from the Coast Guard with over 21 years of dedicated service.
Zinn comes to Port Canaveral from the Coast Guard Office of Budget and Programs in Washington, D.C., where he served as the external coordination division chief.
“I am excited to join the crew of Marine Safety Unit Port Canaveral,” said Zinn. “Their commitment towards the Coast Guard’s enduring missions of maritime safety, security and environmental stewardship is evident, and I am honored to serve alongside them. The Service is evolving in important ways, and I am eager to lead this unit as we take on the next chapter together.”
MSU Port Canaveral has a crew of 31 active duty, reserve and civilian personnel who carry out port security, marine safety, search and rescue and waterways management missions, along with environmental response and disaster assistance operations. The unit’s area of responsibility spans 857 miles of navigable waterways throughout central Florida and its east coast.
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