The U.S. Coast Guard's Marine Safety Unit Saipan held its first-ever change of command ceremony last June 13 at Saipan Community Church, marking a milestone for the relatively new unit as Lt. Gabriel LaMartina assumed command from Lt. Justin Miller.
The ceremony was presided over by Capt. Jessica Worst, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam, and attended by military personnel, government officials, port partners, family members, and community supporters.
MSU Saipan was elevated from Marine Safety Detachment Saipan to a full Marine Safety Unit on April 5, 2024, making last Saturday's event the first command transition in the unit's history. During Miller's tenure, the unit expanded the Coast Guard's prevention and response presence throughout the Commonwealth.
Worst praised Miller's leadership during some of the CNMI's most challenging emergencies, including Super Typhoon Sinlaku.
"During Super Typhoon Sinlaku, you stood the watch through one of the most intense typhoons we've seen in decades," Wurst said. "Without power, without water, communication outages that would have hindered many teams, you kept your crew safe, focused, and mission ready."
She credited Miller and his team with helping reopen ports throughout the CNMI following the storm.
"Through your direction, the Marine Safety Unit was instrumental in assessing and reopening all the ports in Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, so that the long recovery process could begin," Worst said. "That is operational leadership at the highest level."
According to the Coast Guard, MSU Saipan conducted more than 400 prevention activities during Miller's command, including vessel inspections, facility inspections and marine casualty investigations. The unit also played a key role in restoring maritime transportation after Sinlaku and coordinating the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Northern Islands.
Miller, who served as the last officer-in-charge of Marine Safety Detachment Saipan and the first commanding officer of MSU Saipan, reflected on his three years in the Commonwealth.
"The biggest thing that I'm trying to convey today is one, my gratitude for your friendship, your team effort, and your support for me, my family, my crew, the Coast Guard, our missions, the things that we have accomplished in the past three years," he said.
He described the community's response following Super Typhoon Sinlaku as one of the defining experiences of his tour.
"I've never seen such a community, an entire island, let alone the Commonwealth come together as it did to help each other out," Miller said. "That is truly a blessing."
Miller also voiced confidence in his successor.
"You're inheriting one of the best jobs, one of the best crews, one of the best commands, and one of the best communities you could possibly find," he told LaMartina.
LaMartina, who most recently served as chief of port state and facilities at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach, said he was honored to take on the responsibility of leading the unit.
"The commanding officer is a big responsibility, not only to the crew, but also to the community," LaMartina said.
After arriving in the CNMI about a week ago, LaMartina said he had already seen firsthand the dedication of the unit and the resilience of the local community.
"I've also seen the resilience and the tenacity of the public here in the recovery of Sinlaku," he said. "I look forward to working with the community here as well."
LaMartina also thanked residents for their warm reception.
"I've received a very unique welcome," he said. "It's like an island hospitality. It's something that I'm lost for words on, of how unique and special it is."
During the ceremony, Miller received the Coast Guard Commendation Medal in recognition of his service from July 2023 to June 2026. The citation noted his leadership in overseeing maritime safety operations across the ports of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota and supporting approximately $7 billion in annual maritime commerce.
Miller's next assignment will be at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C., while LaMartina begins a three-year tour leading MSU Saipan as the Coast Guard's primary prevention and response presence in the CNMI.
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