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Coast Guard Base Portsmouth welcomes new commanding officer

Posted at 8:56 PM, Jul 30, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-30 20:56:09-04

PORTSMOUTH, Va. –  Coast Guard Base Portsmouth welcomed its newest commanding officer last week.

Coast Guard Rear Adm. James Heinz, director of operational logistics, celebrates with Capt. Michael Roschel (left) and Capt. Brenda Kerr (Right) during the Base Portsmouth change of command ceremony Friday, July 27, 2018 in Portsmouth, Virginia. Following the ceremony, Capt. Kerr retired after 27 years of service. (U.S. Coast Guard photograph by Chief Warrant Officer Dominick Bulone)

Capt. Michael Roschel assumed his duties during a change of command ceremony on Friday, July 27.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the ceremony marked a transfer of total responsibility and authority from one person to another. The time-honored tradition is conducted before honored guests and dignitaries to formally demonstrate the continuity of authority within a command.

A native of Lancster, Pennsylvania, Capt. Roschel graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. He later earned a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the Dwight D. Eisenhower School in Washington, D.C.

Capt. Roschel took the place of Capt. Brenda Kerr, who retired after 27 years of service after the ceremony. Kerr is a 1991 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.