JUNEAU, Alaska — U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Ginny Nadolny relieved Capt. Stanley Fields as sector commander of Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska during a change-of-command ceremony Friday at Coast Guard Station Juneau.
Capt. Michele Schallip, chief of staff, Coast Guard Arctic District, presided over the event.
Prior to assuming command, Nadolny served as the deputy commander of Sector Southeast Alaska.
Nadolny received her commission from the Coast Guard Academy in 2005. She spent the initial phase of her career serving in key leadership roles aboard Coast Guard cutters before transitioning her operational focus to the sector community in 2020. Throughout her distinguished career, she has held multiple strategic assignments, notably serving as a military aide to both President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump, alongside other pivotal leadership positions at Coast Guard Headquarters.
“It is an honor to take command of Sector Southeast Alaska,” Nadolny said. “The men and women of this command are vital to executing the Coast Guard’s highest priority missions, serving maritime communities across Southeast Alaska. I look forward to continued service alongside this exceptional team and our partners throughout Southeast Alaska.”
Fields, who has served as Sector Southeast Alaska’s sector commander since 2024, will report to Charleston, South Carolina, for assignment as the chief prosecutor for the Coast Guard.
“Having served multiple tours in Southeast Alaska, my family has truly learned to call Juneau home,” Fields said. “Whether it’s interacting with community members at family events or through the Coast Guard in a professional capacity, thank you to our friends and partners. It’s truly special to find a place where federal, state, local, tribal, and industry members can accomplish so much. It has been the greatest honor of my lifetime to serve here in Juneau and throughout Southeast Alaska, ensuring safety, security, and stewardship of our critical marine transportation system alongside our community partners. I am grateful for the men and women throughout Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska who continue to forge new paths on a daily basis as the Coast Guard grows their footprint and increase their operational impact throughout Alaska.”
Sector Southeast Alaska covers approximately 550 miles from north to south and contains 20% of the U.S. coastline, including most of the Alexander Archipelago’s 1,100 islands. With only four of 35 communities connected to the outside road system, Sector relies heavily on maritime transportation and is the nation’s top cruise destination, welcoming more than 1.7 million cruise passengers annually and making maritime based tourism the cornerstone of its economy.
The change-of-command ceremony is a military tradition representing a formal transfer of authority and responsibility for a unit from one commanding or flag officer to another.
The passing of colors, standards, or ensigns from an outgoing commander to an incoming one ensures that the unit and its members are never without official leadership, a continuation of trust.
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