GARAPAN, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands — Lt. Gabriel LaMartina assumed command of U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Saipan from Lt. Justin Miller in a change of command ceremony in Saipan on Saturday.
Capt. Jessica Worst, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam, presided over the ceremony.
During Miller's tenure from October 2023 to June 2026, MSU Saipan stood up as a full Marine Safety Unit — elevated from Marine Safety Detachment Saipan on April 5, 2024 — and matured into the Coast Guard's permanent prevention and response presence across the Commonwealth. Under his leadership, the unit advanced maritime safety, security, and environmental stewardship through vessel inspections, port state control examinations, container inspections, and continuous engagement with port partners and local leaders.
When Super Typhoon Sinlaku struck the Marianas in April 2026, MSU Saipan served as the on-scene U.S. Coast Guard operational hub for the CNMI response. The unit deployed responders to assess port infrastructure and damaged vessels on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota; embedded liaison officers at the CNMI Emergency Operations Center to integrate Coast Guard operations with territorial and federal partners; and coordinated with U.S. Coast Guard cutters and aircraft to receive and distribute more than 30,000 pounds of humanitarian supplies to communities across the northern islands, including Pagan and Agrihan. Miller's team was instrumental in reaffirming the navigability of CNMI ports and reopening the Commonwealth's marine transportation system following the storm.
Miller's tenure was also defined by exercise leadership and high-visibility operations. In June 2024, he led MSU Saipan through Lina'la Halom Tasi — the unit's first full-scale joint maritime exercise — partnering with CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Commonwealth Ports Authority, and Isla Petroleum & Energy to simulate a major oil spill and validate equipment deployment and containment at Tanapag Harbor. In 2025, he led the unit's participation in the Mobil triennial industry exercise, stress-testing the CNMI's worst-case discharge response. That same year, Miller arranged Coast Guard participation in and a cutter transport for the 80th anniversary commemoration of the Enola Gay mission on Tinian, supporting one of the most significant Pacific Theater historical observances on the island.
A Tennessee native, Miller was the last officer-in-charge of Marine Safety Detachment Saipan and the first commanding officer of MSU Saipan following its elevation. He, his wife, and their two sons report next to Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
LaMartina enlisted in 2012 as a boatswain's mate in Portsmouth, Virginia, before lateraling to the yeoman rating and serving at Coast Guard Headquarters, where he wrote accounting policy for the Service. Following Officer Candidate School, he served as a deck watch officer aboard USCGC Terrell Horne (WPC 1131) in Los Angeles, then at Coast Guard District Pacific Southwest in Alameda, California, where he facilitated commercial space launches and offshore economic development off the Pacific Coast.
LaMartina most recently served as chief of port state and facilities at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles–Long Beach, where he managed the recovery of major marine casualties aboard the motor vessels Mississippi and One Henry Hudson and supported multi-agency commerce enforcement efforts to prevent the importation of drugs and hazardous cargoes. A native of the Appalachian Mountains of central Virginia, LaMartina is an avid runner and boater, and volunteers with the Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Boy Scouts of America, historical preservation efforts, and military financial counseling programs.
As LaMartina takes command, MSU Saipan continues its mission to safeguard mariners, advance maritime safety and environmental stewardship, and serve as the Coast Guard's steadfast partner to the people of the Commonwealth.
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About U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam crews protect U.S. maritime interests, ensuring security and fostering peace and prosperity across the Blue Pacific with a focus on the Western Pacific and Micronesia. Their operations span search and rescue, law enforcement, environmental protection, and national defense while maintaining close ties with local, regional, and international partners to uphold maritime safety and security standards.
About U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Saipan The Marine Safety Unit Saipan crew conducts vessel inspections, port state control, marine casualty investigations, container inspections, and marine environmental response across the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Established on April 5, 2024, the unit serves as the Coast Guard's permanent presence in the CNMI.