Captain David Melton was “temporarily relieved” from his post as commander of Coast Guard Base Alameda on Tuesday due to “loss of confidence,” according to an official U.S. Coast Guard announcement.
“This temporary relief is not due to misconduct,” the Coast Guard stated.
While the agency’s announcement did not reveal the nature of the “loss of confidence,” the term as used by the military usually stems from a chain of events, with “missteps and failures to remediate,” according to the U.S. Naval Institute.
The Coast Guard announcement emphasized that “Base Alameda remains fully operational and there is no impact to public safety.”
Captain Brian Winburn has temporarily assumed the position of commander at the base, following Melton’s removal by Rear Admiral Carola List, commander of the Coast Guard’s Operational Logistics Command.
Melton, who graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1999, previously served in a variety of positions for the Coast Guard, from being the first Executive Officer of Base Ketchikan, Alaska, to commanding the Sector Field Office in Galveston, Texas, according to his official Coast Guard biography. One of his many service positions was in Oakland, where he was Projects Branch Chief in charge of extending the service life of Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, the United States’ only heavy icebreaker.
Melton also has received numerous Coast Guard awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal, three Commendation Medals, five Achievement Medals, the Permanent Cutterman Insignia, and a number of marksmanship awards.
