The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Venturous in Pinellas County conducted a change-of-command ceremony Thursday, formally handing over leadership of the vessel and swearing in its new commander.

  • St. Pete Coast Guard holds change of command ceremony
  • Cmdr. Michael Gesele transfered command to Cmdr. Matthew Chong 
  • Gesele took command in 2015

Cmdr. Michael Gesele handed over command of the cutter to Cmdr. Matthew Chong.

Gesele, who took command of the vessel in 2015, said it’s been an honor leading the crew of 76 members the past two years.

"The hard work and sacrifices these men and women displayed on a daily basis protecting the American public is truly inspiring, and I could not be more proud of what we accomplished together as a team,” he said.

Gesele is headed to Key West, where he’ll serve as staff judge advocate.

Chong reports to the Venturous after an assignment in Saudi Arabia, where he served as the training and advisory groups’ detachment supervisor and lead operational and training adviser for the Maritime Infrastructure Protection Force.

The change of command ceremony is a traditional formal ceremony.