Change of Command for Coast Guard Cutter Reliance

Coast Guard Rear Admiral Kevin Cook said retiring from the Coast Guard is "bittersweet" because even though serving aboard cutters means long family separations, he said "there is no greater feeling than helping someone in distress."

This is how Coast Guard Cmdr. Michael Gatlin felt when he retired from the Coast Guard after 30 years during the change of command ceremony at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine on Thursday morning.

As is the custom, Gatlin officially transferred command of the Coast Guard Cutter Reliance to Cmdr. Steven P. Wittrock as the Reliance crew and their family members watched.

"Mike, thanks for a great job well done," Cook said to Gatlin. The Coast Guard Rear Admiral also thanked Gatlin's wife, Mary, and his two children, Jacob and Hannah, for the years of support they gave to Gatlin and the Coast Guard.

After Wittrock officially assumed command of the Reliance, Cook said to him, "Be the leader they need."

Cook also told Wittrock, "I expect you to execute the mission in a safe and effective manner" and to "have the courage to step up when necessary."

Cook said Gatlin demonstrated these qualities and more during his nearly 15 years at sea, which included service about 8 Coast Guard cutters.

At a time when the Coast Guard is replacing its aging fleet with new National Security Cutters, fast-response boats and shore patrol boats, Cook said the job of a Coast Guard member has never been more challenging.

He said it has evolved from doing water rescues and search missions to providing Homeland Security, drug interdictions and immigration missions. Coast Guard members often have to miss family birthdays, holidays and other personal occassions when they are away at sea. But the rewards of serving in the Coast Guard have never been greater, Cook added.

"Retiring from the Coast Guard is bittersweet," said Cook, who has served more than 30 years. "You never really leave the Coast Guard. It's part of you."

Gatlin said he was honored to serve his country in the Armed Forces since he first enlisted in the Coast Guard from his native Alabama in 1982. "I served my country as best I could."

To his wife and children, Gatlin said they deserve more credit for the burdens they had to bear to accommodate his years of service. He said his wife, Mary, made it all possible. "I love her dearly and I would not have been able to achieve half the things I did without her."

Wittrock said he was looking forward to leading the Reliance on its future missions and its exemplary crew. "The ship is filled with pride and a devotion to duty," he said.

Besides learning more about the Reliance and his new role as its new commander, Wittrock said he hopes to "become a shipmate of this outstanding crew on my right."