JUNEAU, Alaska — Coast Guard Cmdr. Joseph Plunkett assumed command of Coast Guard Air Station Sitka from Cmdr. Rand Semke in the air station hangar, Friday.
Rear Adm. Ralph Little, commander of Coast Guard Arctic District, presided over the event.
As the commanding officer, Plunkett will be responsible for an area of operation encompassing approximately 180,000 square miles of water and land stretching across southeast Alaska from the Dixon Entrance to Icy Bay, and the Alaskan-Canadian border to central Gulf of Alaska. Air Station Sitka’s operating area is one of the most demanding flight environments in which Coast Guard aircraft operate.
Plunkett’s previous assignments include a tour at Coast Guard Headquarters in the Office of Aviation Forces, operations officer of Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, and a previous assignment at Air Station Sitka.
Plunkett is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and joined the Coast Guard after several years in the aerospace and engineering industry.
“Assuming command of an air station is the pinnacle of an aviator’s career,” said Plunkett. “I am honored and privileged to take on this responsibility. My wife Lily and I are thrilled to return to Sitka and its welcoming community.”
Semke assumed command of Air Station Sitka in June 2024 after having been the operations officer there and will retire following his relief.
“Helping to lead the team of Air Station Sitka these past five years has been the honor of a lifetime, and I could not ask for a better place to finish my Coast Guard career,” said Semke “Ivey and I are extremely grateful to the residents of Sitka for hosting the Coast Guard community with such open arms, year after year. Sitka is an extremely special place, one that gradually changes all who spend time here, and this city will be forever a part of our lives. The Air Station is in good hands with the new command team, welcoming Cmdr. Plunkett back for another tour in Sitka and a third flying assignment in the State of Alaska.”
A 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.
—USCG—