WASHINGTON – The Coast Guard is scheduled to hold a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open Training Center (TRACEN) Birmingham-Southern, the new home of the Enlisted Training Center of Excellence.
Who: Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of Homeland Security; Admiral Kevin Lunday, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard; Jennifer Sinclair, Director, Coast Guard Force Readiness Command.
What: Ribbon cutting ceremony for TRACEN Birmingham-Southern.
When: Friday, June 5, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. (Media must arrive no later than 12:00 p.m. for security screening.)
Where: Birmingham-Southern Coliseum, 801 Bruno Drive, Birmingham, Ala.; and streamed online.
Event Details:
Following the ceremony, credentialed media are invited to view static displays and interact with Coast Guard operators. Featured displays and units will include:
- A helicopter and aircrew from Aviation Training Center Mobile; Mobile, Ala.
- A small boat and crew, weapons and specialized law enforcement equipment from the Coast Guard Special Missions Training Center
- Two Coast Guard K-9s and handlers; one from Maritime Security Response Team East and one from Maritime Safety and Security Team Kings Bay
- The Coast Guard Color Guard and Drill Team
- The Gulf Strike Team response trailer, hazardous materials (HAZMAT) response equipment, and crew members; Mobile, Ala.
- A quintet from the Coast Guard Band
RSVP: Members of the media are requested to RSVP to the Coast Guard’s Heartland District at uscoastguardheartland@gmail.com or (618) 225-9008 no later than 2:00 p.m. on June 4, 2026.
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