CHARLESTON, S.C. - Coast Guard Sector Charleston is scheduled to hold a change of command ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, at 196 Tradd St., in downtown Charleston.

Capt. John Cameron will relinquish command of Sector Charleston to Capt. Michael McAllister during a time-honored military tradition, which transfers total responsibility, authority and accountability of the unit from one individual to another.

McAllister reports to Sector Charleston from the Coast Guard Personnel Command, Arlington, Va., where as the officer assignments branch chief he was responsible for providing career management advice and overseeing assignments for the 7,500-member officer corps.

Cameron assumed command of Sector Charleston in April 2005, following a year of duty as commanding officer of Marine Safety Office Charleston. Cameron is retiring from the Coast Guard after 23 years of service.

Missions performed by Sector Charleston include search and rescue, maritime safety and security, defense readiness/military out loads, living marine resources, marine environmental protection, and law enforcement.  In 2006, Sector Charleston was responsible for: saving 669 lives and recovering $11 million in property; regulating and securing more than $66 billion in international trade including 15 percent of the nation's container imports; and protecting the shipment of Department of Defense cargo and fuel through the Port of Charleston in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

Sector Charleston is a key member of Charleston's Project SeaHawk - the Nation's first integrated port security command and control center comprised of more than 47 federal, state, and local agencies.

During Cameron's tenure, Sector Charleston has been involved in significant operations that have affected the Port of Charleston and the South Carolina and Georgia coasts.  Some highlights include the close cooperation with the maritime industry to minimize vessel traffic disruptions during the demolition of the old Cooper River Bridges, the national prototype Project SeaHawk taskforce that has been seen as a national best practice for federal, state and local agency collaboration efforts.

The change of command ceremony preserves the rich heritage of naval tradition. It is a formal custom and following military protocol, is designed to strengthen respect for the continuity of command that is vital to any military organization. The culmination of the ceremony is reached when both officers read their orders, face one another, salute, and transfer responsibility for the command. This provides the entire command with the knowledge that the officer directed by proper authority is taking command and an opportunity to witness this transfer of responsibility. 

The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the
Department of Homeland Security dedicated to protecting the safety and security of America.