Capt. Kelly Denning relieved Capt. Will Watson during a change-of-command ceremony for Coast Guard Sector New Orleans last week.
Rear Adm. Richard Timme, commander, Coast Guard Eighth District, presided over the ceremony.
Denning earned her commission in 1998 and was designated a command duty officer in 2002. She was formerly the deputy commander at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans.
Watson assumed command of Sector New Orleans in May 2020 and his next assignment is at Coast Guard headquarters as the executive assistant to the vice commandant.
The change-of-command ceremony is a historic military tradition representing the formal transfer of authority and responsibility for a unit from one commanding officer to another. The event reinforces the continuity of command and provides an opportunity to celebrate the crew's accomplishments.
