The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Waesche held a change of command ceremony on Thursday, July 9, on Coast Guard Island in Alameda. Vice Admiral Joseph Buzzella, commander of the USCG Pacific Area, presided over the ceremony in which Captain Dave Ratner relieved Captain Tyson Scofield as Waesche’s commanding officer.
Scofield is retiring after 26 years of distinguished service. A 2000 Coast Guard Academy graduate, his career has included more than 11 years of sea time and key shore assignments, according to the U.S. Coast Guard News. During his tenure, Scofield led Waesche through several high-latitude deployments, including a 105-day, 21,000-nautical-mile Arctic patrol and a 113-day winter patrol in the Bering Sea to enforce maritime laws and project U.S. presence.
Under Scofield’s command, Waesche’s crew achieved major milestones, including a fueling-at-sea operation in the Alaskan theater with the Royal Canadian Navy, a fueling-at-sea with the Coast Guard Cutter Storis, and the rescue of five mariners from a grounded vessel.
Most recently, Scofield served as executive assistant to the Assistant Commandant for Acquisitions, helping oversee a $2 billion modernization portfolio.
“It has been an honor and privilege to sail with the crew of Waesche over the last two years,” Scofield said at the ceremony. “Their dedication and resilience are truly inspiring. I can’t think of a better way to retire than from the flight deck of a Cutter surrounded by shipmates and friends.”
Ratner, who commanded the Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk in Key West, Florida, is a native of Battle Creek, Michigan, and a 2005 Coast Guard Academy graduate. His operational background includes tours as executive officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Venturous and deployments to Iraq and the Horn of Africa for counter-piracy operations.
“My family and I are blessed with the honor of serving our nation during times of unprecedented challenges to our sea services,” said Ratner. “We’re excited to serve with this outstanding crew on one of the Coast Guard’s most capable assets.”
The change of command ceremony formally transfers authority, responsibility and accountability from one commanding officer to another.
