FMB Coast Guard changes commanding officer
The U. S. Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach experienced a change of command at a ceremony at its 719 San Carlos Dr. headquarters Friday. Departing Chief Warrant Officer Gene Gibson was relieved by Chief Warrant Officer Jeffery Kerner, who now becomes the new commanding officer of the Beach station.
Commanding officers receive new assignments after roughly three years. Gibson’s next orders will be at Coast Guard District 7 in Miami.
“I’d like to thank all my brothers and sisters of law enforcement for being such great partners and helping share resources and patrol hours with us,” said Gibson, who also recognized members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Collier County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department, Lee County Maritime and Response Team, Southwest Organized Smuggling Intelligence Group, his Coast Guard crew and the more than 500 Division 9 men and women of the Coast Guard Auxiliary as well as many individuals such as his family and commanders. “Thank you to everyone for making this such a memorable and rewarding tour.”
Gibson, whose command’s responsibility covered more than 150 miles of coastline, received the Meritorious Service Medal for his performance of duty from July 2007 to Aug. 2010. Chief Rudy Moreira, who was the master of ceremonies, noted Gibson’s leadership was critical for the local Coast Guard station to earn the nationally recognized Sumner I. Kimball Award for Readiness in 2009, among other honors.
“Demonstrating superior leadership and professionalized critiques, he presided over unparalleled operational success,” said Moreira. “Exhibiting superb initiative, he created the Southwest Organized Smuggling Intelligence Group and it built it from nine to over 200 members. The coordination of this group resulted in 116 arrests, 63 vessel and vehicle seizures, 13 recovered stolen boats and over 85 disruptive illegal smuggling events. He discovered contraband on smuggling vessels which led to seizures worth $1.3 million, and oversaw the rescue of nearly 2,000 people.”
U. S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg Captain Sheryl Dickinson was the presiding official of the ceremony.
“The Change of Command ceremony is a time-honored tradition,” she said. “There is no greater honor then serving as a commanding officer of one of our units. At any given moment, the men and women of Station Fort Myers Beach, at the direction of its CO, can be called upon to save a life, stop a smuggling operation or disrupt stolen boat operations, respond to reports of illegal fishing and marine pollution cases all in a single day. The commanding officer sets the tone and expectations for the crew. Mr. Gibson obviously set his expectations very high, and his crew not only met but exceeded his expectations.”
Kerner read his orders before thanking Gibson and his newly assigned crew.
“Thank you for giving me this station in such a fantastic condition and an excellent reputation throughout all of our fields,” said Kerner. “I have not seen a more dedicated, hard-working group of men and women in my Coast Guard career.”