PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Coast Guard Sector North Carolina bid farewell to Capt. Timothy J. List and welcomed Capt. Jared A. Harlow as the new sector commander during a change of command ceremony held Friday in Morehead City, North Carolina.
Rear Adm. Zeita Merchant, commander of the Coast Guard East District, presided over the ceremony, a time-honored military tradition that represents the formal transfer of authority, responsibility, and accountability for a unit.
List was assigned to Sector North Carolina since June 2023. During his tenure, he directed the Coast Guard’s response to a highly publicized contamination at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, maintaining strict adherence to policy and significantly bolstering public perception through poised multiagency representation. Additionally, he coordinated a 15-hour search and rescue operation for four missing divers who had drifted from their work site. Ultimately, all four individuals were located by a C-130 and successfully saved through his seamless coordination with the Navy.
“Serving alongside this exceptional crew across America's Sector has been the greatest honor of my career, and I am profoundly grateful for the dedication you have shown every day to keep our waters safe,” said List. “Our success on this tour was only made possible through the support and strong collaboration of our local port partners and the community we are so proud to serve.”
Harlow arrives at Sector North Carolina after serving as deputy sector commander and chief of response at Coast Guard Sector Key West. Prior to that, he was the chief of enforcement at Coast Guard Sector New York and commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter William Trump (WPC 1111).
“It is an absolute privilege to assume command of America’s Sector and join the ranks of such a distinguished and highly capable crew,” said Harlow. “I look forward to building upon this unit’s legacy of excellence and working closely with our community and port partners to execute the vital missions ahead.”
Sector North Carolina has oversight of Coast Guard missions throughout the entire state of North Carolina, leading a team of more than 1,300 active duty, reserve, and auxiliary members who operate eight boat stations, three aids to navigation teams, two marine safety detachments, two sector field offices, and one cutter. Its area of responsibility spans 3,375 nautical miles of inland, river, and coastal waterways, two military and economic strategic ports, and three interstate lakes.
-USCG-