July 30, 2018 —
Cmdr. Keith Doxey (left) relieves Cmdr. J.J. Bates (right) as commanding officer of the Coast Guard Legacy Sustainment Support Unit (LSSU) while Rear Adm. Michael Johnston (center) observes at a change of command ceremony at Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore July 2, 2018. The LSSU oversees work for the In-Service Vessel Sustainment program and is based at the Yard. U.S. Coast Guard photo.
The Coast Guard Legacy Sustainment Support Unit (LSSU) and Project Resident Office (PRO) Gulf Coast held change of command ceremonies on July 2 and 11, respectively.
At the LSSU, Cmdr. Keith Doxey fleeted up from executive officer and assumed command, relieving Cmdr. J.J. Bates. Rear Adm. Michael Johnston, director of acquisition programs and program executive officer, presided over the ceremony held at Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore.
The LSSU, based at Coast Guard Yard, oversees work for the In-Service Vessel Sustainment (ISVS) program, which consists of projects designed to help ships and boats continue to execute missions efficiently, remedy obsolescence issues, and in some cases extend the vessels' ;planned service lives. Under the ISVS program and oversight of LSSU, 10 cutters have completed either a service life extension or major maintenance availability at the Yard.
Doxey, the fifth commanding officer of the unit, said, “I was first exposed to the great work performed here at Coast Guard Yard on small boats while serving as Small Boat Product Line Programmed Depot Maintenance Branch chief for the Surface Forces Logistics Center. The work performed on cutters by Coast Guard Yard in partnership with the In-Service Vessel Sustainment Program and LSSU is vital to safely bridge the gap needed for their replacements.”
“The team that is in place to execute the ISVS program, including LSSU and all the other stakeholders involved, has been extremely successful,” Bates said, “as evidenced by the Department of Homeland Security recognizing the 140-foot Service Life Extension Program as the non-major acquisition program of the year.”
In an event later in July in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Capt. Travis Carter relieved Capt. Christopher Webb of command of PRO Gulf Coast. Capt. Douglas Schofield, assistant program executive officer of surface acquisitions, presided over the ceremony. “I am absolutely humbled to be given the opportunity to lead this unit at such a critical time in the program's history. The incredible team here at PRO Gulf Coast has truly earned their stellar reputation of delivering capable platforms to our sailors, something that the Coast Guard and the American public can be proud of,” remarked Carter. “I look forward to continuing the delivery of these sophisticated national assets to the fleet over my tenure. My focus will be to ensure that what we deliver enhances the security and prosperity of our nation."
PRO Gulf Coast, located at the Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. shipyard, provides on-site government oversite of the Coast Guard’s national security cutter acquisition program. Coast Guard personnel from PRO Gulf Coast work alongside shipyard personnel during production and monitor budget, schedule and contract performance to ensure successful program execution.
Capt. Travis Carter (left) relieves Capt. Christopher Webb (right) as the commanding officer of Project Resident Office Gulf Coast during a change of command ceremony in Pascagoula, Mississippi, July 11, 2018. Webb has led all aspects of team PRO Gulf Coast, the Coast Guard’s organization responsible for national security cutter mission support and pre-commissioning crew interface. Capt. Douglas Schofield, assistant program executive officer of surface acquisitions, presided at the ceremony. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis Magee.
For more information: National Security Cutter Program page and In-Service Vessel Sustainment Program page