CHARLESTON, S.C. — The crew of Coast Guard Sector Charleston held a change of command ceremony, Friday, at Sector Charleston.
During the ceremony, Capt. Francis J. DelRosso transferred command of Sector Charleston to Capt. Shawn A. Lansing.
Rear Adm. Adam A. Chamie, commander of the Coast Guard Southeast 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.
DelRosso served as the commander of Sector Charleston since April 2023. Under his leadership, Sector Charleston personnel conducted 335 search and rescue cases, saved or assisted 1,286 lives, screened 5,383 foreign vessels for safety and security risks, conducted 2,210 law enforcement boardings, responded to 201 pollution incidents and preserved over $78 million in property.
“Leading Sector Charleston has been an extraordinary privilege,” said DelRosso. “Together with our outstanding team and trusted partners, we strengthened maritime safety, secured our ports, and responded to every challenge with professionalism and purpose. I’m proud of what we accomplished — driven by commitment, guided by grace, and united in mission.”
Following the change of command ceremony, DelRosso formally retired from the U.S. Coast Guard after 38 years of service.
Lansing comes to Charleston from the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. where he served as Chief, Joint Operations Division Americas supporting the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"I am incredibly excited and honored to lead Sector Charleston and its talented team stretched across 287 miles of South Carolina and Georgia coastline,” said Lansing. “As Captain of the Port, I look forward to sustaining an already strong partnership with our maritime stakeholders and will remain focused on the maritime safety, security, and economic prosperity of the region, state, and nation.”
Sector Charleston is comprised of more than 1,629 active-duty, reserve, civilian personnel, and auxiliarists. The sector has four small boat stations, three cutters and three aids to navigation teams. Sector Charleston is a unified command that is responsible for the execution of Coast Guard missions in the waters off South Carolina and Georgia out to 200 nautical miles with three of the top ten busiest port in the U.S.
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