 Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon, I'm Captain Jonathan Carter, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cover Stone, and I would like to extend a warm welcome to everyone joining us here today. As Gregor Charleston, South Carolina, is officially designated as a Coast Guard candidate. Before we begin the official portion of our ceremony, I ask that you please silence all personal electronic devices. Military members will remain covered for the entire ceremony. During our national anthem, military members shall salute, and those not in uniform shall stand facing the flag with their right hand over their heart. A sequence of events is located inside your program to assist you in following today's ceremony. The designation of a Coast Guard community is a very special occasion that formally recognizes a community for its outstanding support of our United States Coast Guard. Presiding over today's ceremony will be the 27th Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Linda Fager. I would personally like to thank each of you for taking time out of your very busy day as we honor Gregor Charleston and its relationship with our United States Coast Guard. I'd especially like to thank and recognize the following individuals. Please hold your applause till the end. U.S. Representative of South Carolina's First Congressional District, the honorable Nancy Mays. Mayor of the City of Charleston, Mayor William Cotswain. Mayor of the City of North Charleston, Mayor Reggie Burgess. Mayor of the town of Mount Pleasant, Mayor Will Haley. South Carolina State Senator, Senator Sean Bennett. South Carolina State Senator, Senator Brian Harris. South Carolina State Representative, Mr. Tom Hartman. The 26th Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Carl Schultz. Vice Admiral Lincoln McAllister, the U.S. Coast Guard retired. The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, Master Chief Heath Jones, and the Coast Guard Ombudsman at-large, Miss Carol Jones. The Secretary of the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs, the honorable Todd McCaffrey. Charleston County Council Chair, Mr. Herbert Sass, Vice Chair, Miss Ginny Honeycup, and Council Member, Mr. Joe Boykin. North Charleston Council Member, Mr. Michael Brock. Coast Guard Deputy Command Officer, material readiness, we're Admiral Laura Dickey. Coast Guard Operational Logistics Commander, we're Admiral Corolla List. Coast Guard Director of Government, Governmental of the Public Affairs, we're Admiral Will Watson. Coast Guard Chief Prosecutor, we're Admiral William Dwyer. TSA Federal Security Director, Mr. David McMahon. Deputy Comptroller, U.S. State Department, Mr. William Davidson. Naval Information Warfare Center, Atlantic. Captain Nicole Nigro and Mr. Peter Redden. Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Cutter James, Captain Don Tertain. Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Cutter Calhoun, Captain Tim Simmel. Coast Guard Base Charleston, Captain Eric Jones. Coast Guard Mary Time Lines Law Enforcement Academy, Captain Randall Brown. Commander of Joint Base Charleston, 628th Air Base Wing, Colonel Michael Freeman. Navy Nuclear Power Training Unit, Charleston. Captain Reed County. Berkeley Charleston, Dorchester Council of Governments Executive Director, Mr. Ron Meacham. South Carolina Director of Governmental Affairs, Mr. Mark Hendry. Charleston County Administrator, Strater, Mr. Bill Tutton. Berkeley County Administrator, Mr. Johnny Crill. Dorchester County Administrator, Mr. Jason Warren. Dorchester School District, two Superintendent, Dr. Shane Robbins. Lucy Beckham High School Assistant Principal, Mr. Karen Pickering. Representing Charleston County School District, Mr. Jeff Barrow. Representing Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Scott Barrow. Charleston Chief of Police, Cheeto Walker. South Carolina Port Authority President and CEO, Ms. Barbara Melvin. Maritime Association of South Carolina President and CEO, Ms. Taylor Jack. Patriots Point Developmental Authority Executive Director, Allison Hunt. USS Yorktown Foundation Chairman, Chauncey Clark and Rear Admiral, Jim Flatley. The United States Navy, retired. Coast Guard Foundation Executive Director, Ms. Susan Newville. Greater Charleston City Council, excuse me, Greater Charleston Council of the Navy Unique and Past National President, Mr. James Offord. Representing Senator Lindsey Graham, Mr. Daniel Head, Mr. Aaron Strickland and Ms. Bailey Wright. Representing Senator Tim Scott, Ms. Caitlyn, excuse me, Ilseley and Ms. Katherine Hunter. Representing Congressman Jim Clyden, Mr. Donald Trevon. Accompanying Congresswoman Mace, Dr. Lore, excuse me, Dr. DeLoree Cattado, Ms. Lisa Kidwall, Mr. Noah Lindquist, Mr. Sean Brooklyn and Ms. Gabrielle Lipski. A special shout out to the OMS government, senior listed members and crew members of many of our Coast Guard units here with us today as well as a strong turnout from the Coast Guard retiree community here in the low country and all federal, state and local government officials and military service members and their families. I would also like to extend a special thanks to the Coast Guard band who will be performing today and the Coast Guard Honor Guard and the Lucy Beckham J.R.O.T.C. Honor Guard for their outstanding display of professional. The great Charleston Council of the Navy League would like to recognize and thank the business sponsors that made this ceremony possible. Charleston Defense Contractors, Association President, Mr. Gary Jaffe and his team. Atlas Tech President and CEO of Mr. Brian Miller and his team. Akama, Business Development Director, Mr. Gabe Bell and his team. We also have a special note of thanks to South Carolina courts for their generous use of this facility and their expert team in arranging today's events. A special thank you to the Charleston County government team for sponsoring the application for this community to become a Coast Guard community and for their valuable support in today's ceremony. And finally, and I promise finally, a special thank you to the many volunteers supporting this event including members from Coast Guard Auxiliary Division 12, Citadel Cadets, Coast Guard J.R.O.T.C. Cadets from Lucy Beckham High School and our Navy League volunteers. Thank you all and bravo, Zulu. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the arrival of the official party and remain standing through the presentation of colors, the playing of our national anthem and delivery identification. It is a military custom and tradition to provide military honors for all high-ranking dignitaries and flag officers. Musical honors will consist of four ruffles and flourishes followed by the Admiral's March. Those in uniforms should remain colored and follow my cues for rendering a hand salute. Now, Chairman Charleston County Council arriving. Now, Commander Coast Guard District 7 arriving. Now, U.S. Representative for South Carolina's First Congressional District arriving. Coast Guard arriving. Salute, John and Cypher, for today's invocation. Today we thank you for the growth and vibrancy of the Greater Charleston Area, particularly the Coast Guard and the maritime community. You have blessed our community with a rich and storied history, economical prosperity, and a flourishing maritime commerce. Yet more importantly than all that, you are a god of relationships and you have built wonderful partnerships and friendships amongst a community full of diverse backgrounds and walks of life. Today we thank and praise you for the Greater Charleston's welcoming spirit to the servicemen and women of our Coast Guard. What a blessing to have such wonderful and harmonious relationship with the community that you live in and work for. Today we invite your presence on this special occasion as the Greater Charleston Area is officially designated the Coast Guard community. Bless our celebration and continue to forge this special bond between our Coasties and their community. Amen. Thank you, John. Now I invite Coast Guard, 7th District Commander, Rear Admiral, Doug Scofield, to introduce the comma of our United States Coast Guard. It's really great to be here as the operational commander. I'll put the shore version. It's really great to be here because the men and women that serve it in the air on the sea and ashore love this community. That's why we're here. We're here because our future is brighter and I'm certainly as the operational commander for the 7th District which includes South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and the Caribbean. I'm very honored to be here with you today. So thank you for taking your time of your day to honor this Greater Charleston Area in this remarkable relationship with the United States Coast Guard. A special thank you to this distinguished guest here in attendance. Obviously we heard the names or this is an important event. As Captain Carter mentioned the designation of a Coast Guard community is a very special occasion that formally recognized its supports of the United States Coast Guard today more than ever. The Coast Guard greatly values our partnerships in this region and day in and day out, sector Charleston units demonstrate the attributes that have set us apart as the world's greatest Coast Guard. And that begins with our more than 1,600 dedicated men and women and their families active duty, reserve, civilians, and exhilarates assigned to these units. Our operations depend on the spirited collaborative effort with our federal, state, and local partners in the Greater Charleston Area who are immensely helpful in the combined mission efforts. I thank you for the bottom of my heart there. We could not accomplish our missions without the stewardship and the support of the communities we serve in. Thank you. So now I want to introduce the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Amber Linda Fagan. She is the 27th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, oversees the global Coast Guard operations and over 78,000 active duty, reserve, and civilian personnel, and exhilarate volunteers. She has served in all seven continents from the snows of Ross Island, Antarctica, to the heart of Africa, and many ports along the way. Amber Fagan has worked with both the international maritime organizations and international label organizations on flags and port state issues. Amber Fagan is the longest-serving active duty marine safety officer and holds the distinction of being the Coast Guards. First ever, Gold Ancient Trident. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce Amber Linda Fagan to the podium. Thank you. Amber's right before me again. It's seasoned, not ancient. So good afternoon and welcome of one and all. I'm going to go back to all of the senior elected officials, dignitaries, friends of the Coast Guard, retirees, just thank you all. Thank you for being here as we celebrate this community as a as a Coast Guard community. Representative Mace is particularly just nice to meet you and have you here celebrating with us. I am really excited that we're going to honor Charleston today as a Coast Guard community. You know, Coast Guard has proudly served in Charleston for more than 230 years and it is an incredible place for our people to work and to call home. I've spent time today with some of the units here in the area and met a few of the families. They could not be a happier group of people. They love being here and it's clear to me that the community also enjoys our presence here and I thank you for that. The community is embraced and supported our Coast Guard workforce and their families and it enables them to perform their duties in service to the nation, to their greatest potential. And so you know as I face the back of the room what you don't see is the stream of people from the community who are going on board the ship to see the ship first hand and see what it is that our Coast Guard men and women do as ships like the stone leave port and go and ensure our economic prosperity and our national security. So you know again it is no surprise to see so many community leaders with us here today and especially the port partners in Charleston, members of the Maritime Association of South Carolina, all critical partners in what we do each and every day. The Charleston Defense Contractors Association and other colleagues from the other armed forces, our fellow Department of Homeland Security components and other federal agencies thank you for joining us. You know a warm welcome to to receive here extends to our Coast Guard families as well who are here with us as they say our members in uniform go out and do difficult work to support the nation but they are only able to do it because of the support of their families and so it's a privilege to to have family members here here with us as well. I'd like to recognize and thank officials from the Charleston County Superintendent's Office and welcome the Coast Guard children in the area school's leaders from the medical community, state local law enforcement emergency managers thank you. I don't have many non-profit organizations here today steadfastly support the Coast Guard such as the Palmetto Military Support Group, the USO, Yorktown Foundation, Patriots Point Development Authority and the Navy League. In fact the Navy League is everywhere the Coast Guard is. I cannot name an event or a location literally anywhere in the world where I have not seen the Navy League representatives. Thank you for your special support of the Coast Guard. I'd specifically like to thank the Greater Charleston Chapter of the Navy League for taking the lead in arranging today's event. We've got project officer many who have come together to make this event of what it is here today does not happen by accident but for the the initiative leadership and drive of the Navy League is why we're all here and so again thank you thank you very much. I would like to recognize one person in particular who is really instrumental in bringing us all here today and that's Jim Ramsey. Jim's a Coast Guard veteran, a Bosans mate. He served as president of the Charleston Chapter of the Navy League. He's who initiated the process to apply for Coast Guard community designation for Charleston and surrounding communities. Unfortunately Jim passed away before the process was completed but I know his family is here in attendance and today we will honor his memory, his initiative, his service, his commitment to not just the Coast Guard but to Charleston and so really we have Jim Ramsey to thank for bringing us all here together today. I'd like to thank the Charleston County leaders that work to make Jim's vision a reality by sponsoring the Coast Guard community application. Now we have a number of young people with us here today. Cadets, we have Pistodale Cadets, we've got a number of young people from our junior ROTC program and as I see them I know the future is bright. The talent that we have in this country who are coming forward with a propensity to serve to join and to step into service not just in the Coast Guard but any of our other military services law enforcement, other service communities. The future is absolutely bright and we see some of the best of that youth in the room with us here today. The Cadets from Lucy Beckham High School, Coast Guard Junior ROTC. You know it attracts students from across Charleston County so it wasn't too many years ago we didn't have any JROTC programs. Over the last several years we've been adding and expanding our JROTC program nationwide. It provides opportunity for youth and young people who have a propensity to serve to to join and understand what service means. What it means to commit yourself to the nation and we hope to inspire that service whether it's in Coast Guard uniform, Iranian and other uniform as these young members continue in their Junior ROTC Junior journey. Cadets here represent the future of the Coast Guard and the future of our service here in Charleston. I said this morning I'll say it again. We are committed to Charleston. We've been here a long time and we are going to be here into the future. The opportunity for the Coast Guard for the ships, the units, all that we have planned over at the site where we did the groundbreaking this morning is nothing but opportunity not just for the Coast Guard but for the community. At the groundbreaking today and with the construction and expansion of the base it marks a new trajectory for the Coast Guard in South Carolina. The community will be home to new major cutters, logistic staff to maintain them, and services to support our Coast Guard families. The plans for the footprint over there are incredible and I look forward now that we've begun the construction to see how it comes to life. It's critically important that we commit to this work as we invest in the new cutters, boats and aircraft. It's our people who are our most valuable resource. Those ships don't operate at sea 365 days a year. They need time, import, for maintenance, for reset, and our families need time for that same reset and opportunity to spend time with their families to ensure that their family members have access to schools, medical care, child care, all the support that any of us need for our families and Charleston absolutely rises to that support for us. As much as I can do from Washington to achieve the goals of family support in our frontline operation support, it really is the local communities that make a difference. They make a difference day in, day out in the little things that our families value so much and I thank Charleston and surrounding communities for that. I'm grateful to the community support of the Coast Guard. I offer you my heartfelt thanks for all that you have done and I know we'll continue to do to support our families as we continue to invest here in Charleston. I am really proud and privileged to be here today as we designate Charleston as a Coast Guard community and I am here to celebrate with you. Thank you. Semper proud of us. I will present Charleston County Chair Mr. Herbert Rabinau Sass with the proclamation officially designating Greater Charleston as a Coast Guard community. Chairman Sass will be accepting on behalf of all counties that make up Greater Charleston. Proclamation of the United States Coast Guard, whereas the people of the community of Greater Charleston, South Carolina have a rich history supporting the United States Coast Guard for over 230 years serving as a port of operations for maritime enforcement authorities and whereas the United States Coast Guard's presence in the community has grown and involved with the cultivation of a mutually supportive and beneficial relationship between local Coast Guard units and the community of Charleston and whereas the city of Charleston partnered with the foundation for Coast Guard history and the Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association to place a memorial plaque honoring the long shared history of the city of Charleston and the United States Coast Guard at Joe Rowley Waterfront Park overlooking Charleston heart and whereas Lucy Beckham High School and Mount Pleasant host one of the nation's few Coast Guard junior ROTC programs the Charleston County School District enthusiastically supports this new program and enrollment is expected to reach nearly 80 students of all socioeconomic backgrounds throughout the region in the next year and whereas the Palmetto Military Support Group donated more than $30,000 to area installations to help support squadron events, family picnics, morale and welfare events and other activities for Coast Guard service members and their family and whereas the Greater Charleston Council supports engagements between the naval sea cadets and operational Coast Guard units building awareness of the benefits of Coast Guard service and Greater Charleston City Council is also proud to host Sailor of the Year programs for local Coast Guard units supporting arms buzzmen who play critical roles in sharing information particularly for deployable units and whereas the friendliness and hospitality of the community of Charleston are reflected in the multitude of special events throughout the year and services including discounts from local businesses for Coast Guard members to honor their contributions to our nation. Now therefore, I, Admiral Linda L. Fagan, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard in accordance with public law 105383 enact enacted by the Congress of the United States and signed by the President on November 13, 1998. Do hereby take great pleasure in proclaiming that the community of Greater Charleston, South Carolina is officially designated as a Coast Guard community and witness whereof I have here on to set my hand this the 26th day of January the year of our lord 2024. Welcome to the stage Representative Mace. Welcome to the door this afternoon Admiral Fagan. I call this a power move. Some of you may not know this but Admiral Fagan is the first four star and head of any of our service branches in our history and then I walk in I see Barbara Melvin who's head of this of the State South Carolina State Ports Authority. I was the first woman to graduate from the Citadel. We had kind of a trifecta here this afternoon and that's really awesome to have that kind of history here today and it's a true honor regardless of the chaos in Mayhem of DC when we're all working together at the state and local level here in Charleston we do such an outstanding job whether you are a Republican or Democrat or an Independent no matter who you are or where you're serving we do a remarkable job and that is reflected in all of our leaders who are here today and have been here with the Coast Guard not just today but yesterday and last night working together and that's reflected that everybody's here. All of our mayors have been here all of our council members city and county working together and we ought to be really proud of that you're not don't be so proud of DC right now that's a disaster but at the local level and I'm trying not to curse I'm trying really hard not to curse right now but we they all worked really closely together and I want to say thank you to all of our leaders for what what you all are doing here and keeping Charleston's charm and keeping our industry and our defenses and our national security strong. Some of you may or may not know we have a rich maritime history here in Charleston South Carolina in 1790 Charleston became a cornerstone of maritime history Alexander Hamilton established the Revenue Cutter Service if you did not know and among the inaugural fleet was the South Carolina and found its home in our charming harbor. We have lots of maritime stories I love to tell the story of Robert Smalls who was a slave who commandeered a Union ship and I mean a confederate ship in the Charleston Harbor during the Civil War and gave it to Union soldiers and so we have such rich history whether it's women breaking glass ceilings African Americans and black and brown in our communities we have such a rich history in which they taught more of it in our schools and speaking of since we're going to be close to Black History Month in February some people may not know here in the first congressional district the first African American to ever serve in the U.S. House of Representatives was Joseph P. Rainey he was from Georgetown the time Georgetown was in our district and he was the first one and the last Black man to serve before Reconstruction was also from our area George P. Murray and so we just have so much history to be proud of and I'm really honored to be here today as Charleston is nationally recognized as an official U.S. Coast Guard community we proudly carry forward a legacy that began with the vision of our nation's founding fathers and more importantly Admiral Fagan I think I have toured multiple cutters and ships I've been out on the harbor with Coast Guard coasties with our servicemen and women in the Coast Guard and I have to tell you every single one with a hundred percent all tell me that Charleston is their favorite installation in duty station so we look forward to working with you and everyone in the Coast Guard to make sure it stays that way thank you and God bless thank you Representative Mace and now welcome to the chair to excuse me to the stage the chair of the Charleston County Council Mr. Robert Brown now has to give me great pleasure to be here today as everybody has mentioned earlier we do share a long-time history with the Coast Guard here in Charleston and it's especially important it's been a big part of our of our area and we can't be more than excited how it's going to grow actually and I have my niece is married to a coastie so I like that and I have other cousins that serve so I'm really happy about this I'm pleased to accept this designation on behalf of the governments businesses non-profits and other organizations and make up the greater Charleston and Tri-County community we eagerly supported the application for this designation both to recognize the exceptional relationship we've had with the Coast Guard and its members over many years but also as a way to recommit ourselves to continue to enhance this relationship as the Coast Guard grows its base of operations here in Charleston a 2022 assessment estimated to economic impact of the military including the Coast Guard in South Carolina as the Coast Guard is centered here in Charleston the Tri-County area is the primary beneficiary of more than 260 million dollars in annual impact we're also pleased to host other bases as well as Joint Base Charleston this makes a great partnership there are so many examples of this community supporting its Coast Guard we're proud that they helped Charleston be a favorite assignment for the many Coast Guard members past and present we humbly accept this designation let this just be the start of a mutually beneficial relationship between the Coast Guard and greater Charleston a relationship that we trust will grow in importance and value in the coming years thank you thank you mr Sass I would now like to invite mr Jim Offit from the Greater Charleston Navy League to the stage for some final recognition well you heard the story about how this got started with junior agency but it takes somebody to carry that to our job and so there is an individual who moved here to show up and became an action officer people who in the government know what actions officers are how they respond how their work is tireless almost 24-7 so if I just have more on McAnlister would you please come forward and review your life on behalf of the Navy League and all of us and all the people who have just talked about what a great community we have it doesn't help me to say personally it's been wonderful working with you let me also say never have I seen a flag officer become an action officer so great it was such a great job thank you very much I thank the many volunteers. Captain Carter mentioned the robust turnout from volunteers we had I think more than 60 volunteers and so I just want to thank everybody for for their extraordinary efforts to to create a memorable ceremony and celebrations today thank you Cycler will now offer final vindication. Thank you for the special day you called each of us to love our neighbors as ourselves thank you for inspiring this community to do just that for our coasties may you continue to bless this mutually beneficial friendship for many years to come to the god of love joy and peace Amen thank you chad ladies and gentlemen would you please stand as the band plays the Coast Guard song Cypher Parades followed by the departure of the official party now United States Coast Guard departing now U.S. Representative for South Carolina's First Congressional District Department now Commander Coast Guard District 7 Department now Chair Charleston County Council Department ladies and gentlemen this concludes the ceremony thank you again for joining us here today guests are welcome to join us for reception in the area to my right your left the Coast Guard cutter stone will be hosting tours during the reception please take the opportunity to see one of the Coast Guard's newest most capable cutters please see one of our tour guides in the back offer a tour during the reception you may also notice that some local Coast Guard units stationed here in Charleston have set up displays around the reception area and we'll have representatives talking about the many missions that the Coast Guard conducts here in Charleston and missions conducted around the globe please take the opportunity to say hello as we better learn something new about our United States Coast Guard thank you again for your time and for showing support for our Coast Guard and our great big Charleston community set across