Capt. Jason Ingram, Coast Guard Sector Key West commanding officer, presides over a change of command ceremony for USCGC Charles David Jr. (WPC 1107), in Key West, Florida, June 27, 2024. Chief Warrant Officer Adam Smith relieved Chief Warrant Officer Chad Barber as commanding officer ensuring continuity of leadership and operations aboard the cutter. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ens. Tabitha Martinez)
Below is a news release. I don’t normally pass along press releases regarding changes of command. They are well covered by Coast Guard News if you want to see them. I thought this was a bit unusual. USCGC Charles David, Jr. is a 154 foot patrol craft with a crew of 24. These are usually commanded by a Lieutenant or Lieutenant Command (O-3 or O-4). Command of one of these by a Chief Warrant Officer is an opportunity unique to the Coast Guard.
USCGC Charles David (WPC-1107)
Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. holds Change of Command ceremony
KEY WEST, Fla. — Chief Warrant Officer Adam R. Smith relieved Chief Warrant Officer Chad M. Barber as commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr., Thursday, during a change-of-command ceremony at Coast Guard Sector Key West.
Capt. Jason Ingram, Sector Key West commander, presided over the event.
Chief Warrant Officer Barber was the commanding officer of the cutter since July 2021, conducting 25 patrols and accumulating over 5,000 hours underway. He will transfer to the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley, home ported in Alaska. Chief Warrant Officer Smith takes command of the cutter after serving as the Officer in Charge of Station Provincetown, Massachusetts.
“Thank you to Chief Warrant Officer Barber’s family, his spouse Shannon, two sons Hayden and Logan, and his daughter Bryn, for their support while he served his community in the Florida Keys,” said Capt. Jason Ingram, commander, Sector Key West, .
Cutter Charles David Jr. is one of six Fast Response Cutters homeported in Key West and reports to Sector Key West. The cutter patrols over 55,000 square nautical miles of Sector Key West’s area of responsibility within the Florida Straits and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as regularly forward deploying to the Caribbean Sea and other areas in support of the Coast Guard’s national security, law enforcement, and lifesaving missions.
The change-of-command ceremony marks a transfer of total responsibility and authority from one individual to another. It is a time-honored tradition, conducted before the assembled crew, as well as honored guests and dignitaries to formally demonstrate the continuity of the authority within a command.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
Very interesting. I wonder why the CG did this. I have always assumed that the idea for the FRCs was for O-3 and O-4 officers to get early command. I did two enlistments in the 70’s (White Pine and Northwind), got out as a QM2, so I know a bit about CG CO billets. I assume that this CO is a warrant BOSN…but then another look at the warrant specialties makes me think that a warrant OS might qualify. Do you have any idea?
Some of the WPBs were always commanded by CWOs.
There are now very many FRCs and soon there will be even more. So, there are many more O-3 command positions than there were before. Maybe more than they need for developing future COs for larger ships.
There are also a lot of non-afloat jobs that need O-3/4s.
This particular FRC and I think others that have CWO COs are in large concentrations that are effectively squadrons rather than isolated individual units.