Coast Guard Lt. Patrick Powers (left) relieves Lt. Cmdr. David Stutt (right) during the change of command ceremony in Gloucester, Massachusetts, Tuesday, July 25, 2017. Coast Guard cutter Key Largo is a 100-foot patrol boat with a crew complement of 17. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kayla Deem)
GLOUCESTER — Coast Guard Lt. Patrick Powers relieved Lt. Cmdr. David Stutt as the Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Key Largo during a change of command ceremony at Coast Guard Station Gloucester on Tuesday.
Stutt assumed the duties as commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Key Largo in 2015, where he oversaw the execution of critical search and rescue, living marine resource enforcement, and ports, waterways, and coastal security missions in an area of responsibility spanning the North Atlantic coast from New York to Maine. While in command of Key Largo, Stutt and his crew saved more than 10 lives and $2.3 million worth of property.
“The dedication, hard work, and sacrifice of the crew and their families pushed the Key Largo beyond every obstacle,” said Stutt. “Sharing a home with the Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial reminded us of the importance to always remain vigilant.”
Stutt, a native of Poquoson, Virginia, received his commission from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut in 2005. He and his wife, Rachel, have two sons, Evan and Colin, and a daughter, Paige. He plans to attend University of Rhode Island in the fall to pursue a master’s degree in Marine Affairs.
Powers, a native of Glens Falls, New York, was assigned as an instructor in the Department of Professional Maritime Studies at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He and his wife, Samantha, with their two daughters, Sofia and Emma, are look forward to joining the Gloucester community.
The change of command ceremony is a formal ritual conducted before the assembled company of the command. It conveys to officers and enlisted personnel of the cutter that although the authority of command is relinquished by one person and assumed by another, it is still maintained without interruption.
The Coast Guard Cutter Key Largo is a 110-foot patrol boat, with a crew complement of 15 enlisted and 2 officers.
