Our next Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard is... [update]

Early this morning (Tweeted via eMail… behold the power of social media) Headquarters officially released the names of the next Master Chief Petty Officer Coast Guard for both Active Duty and Reserve forces. Replacing the current MCPOCG, Master Chief Charles Bowen, is BMCM Michael P. Leavitt in a ceremony scheduled for 21 May 2010.; on the Reserve side the current MCPO-CGR, Master Chief Jeffrey D. Smith, will be relieved by BMCM Mark H. Allen on 15 May 2010. Once the CGMS messages have been released on the public side (not yet, sorry now working) these links will work (ALCOAST 033/10 (Active) and ALCOAST 034/10 (Reserve)), but you can see them below (thank you Master Chief Bowen!). I was hard-pressed to find a photo of either one of these gentlemen- so let me know if you come across one.

We’re getting a lot closer to a total command change out at the top- and this message, short of the actual announcement that VADM Papp has been nominated as our next Commandant, signals that things are moving right along.

Congratulations to MCPOCG Bowen and MCPO-CGR Smith for your outstanding leadership these last few years; and here’s to a great tour ahead for BMCM’s Leavitt and Allen.

CGMS messages after the jump-

ALCOAST 033/10
COMDTNOTE 1401
SUBJ: SELECTION OF MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER OF THE COAST GUARD
1. I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE SELECTION OF BMCM MICHAEL P.
LEAVITT AS THE NEXT MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER OF THE COAST GUARD.
HE WILL RELIEVE MCPOCG CHARLES (SKIP) BOWEN DURING A CHANGE OF
WATCH CEREMONY ON 21 MAY 2010 AT TRAINING CENTER CAPE MAY, NJ.
2. BMCM LEAVITT, THE CURRENT SENIOR ENLISTED ADVISOR TO THE DEPUTY
COMMANDANT FOR OPERATIONS, HAILS FROM FRUITLAND, ID AND ENLISTED IN
MAY 1982. HE HAS SERVED IN VARIOUS AFLOAT AND ASHORE ASSIGNMENTS,
AT ALL LEVELS, INCLUDING OFFICER IN CHARGE (OIC) OF STATION MAUI
(HI), USCGC POINT DORAN (WA), STATION HATTERAS (NC), STATION
OCRACOKE (NC), STATION HUMBOLDT BAY (CA), STATION TILLAMOOK BAY
(OR), AND STATION CAPE DISAPPOINTMENT (WA). HE HAS EARNED A
PERMANENT CUTTERMAN INSIGNIA, SURFMAN INSIGNIA, BOAT FORCES
OPERATIONS INSIGNIA AND OIC AFLOAT AND ASHORE DEVICES.
3. BMCM LEAVITT HAS DEMONSTRATED HIS COMMITMENT TO OUR CORE VALUES
OF HONOR, RESPECT AND DEVOTION TO DUTY BY HIS OUTSTANDING
PERFORMANCE DURING A 27-YEAR COAST GUARD CAREER. LAST SUMMER MY
FATHER AND I HELD AN ALL HANDS AT STATION TILLAMOOK TO COMMEMORATE
MY PARENTS 60TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY.  THEY MET AND WERE MARRIED IN
TILLAMOOK, OREGON.  WE WERE PROUD TO STAND WITH THE CREW AND MASTER
CHIEF LEAVITT AT A VERY PERSONAL MOMENT.  MY FATHER SENDS HIS BEST
WISHES TO MASTER CHIEF LEAVITT, AS DO I.
4. A NUMBER OF OUTSTANDING MASTER CHIEFS WITH DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS
APPLIED FOR THIS IMPORTANT AND PRESTIGIOUS POSITION. A SCREENING
PANEL WAS CONDUCTED AND SIX FINALISTS WERE INTERVIEWED THIS PAST
WEEK. THE NAMES OF ALL APPLICANTS ARE LISTED ALPHABETICALLY:
BMCM THOMAS A. BOTZENHART             D5 CMC
YNCM LEILANI L. CALE-JONES            D14 CMC
BMCM STEVEN W. CANTRELL               CG-09 CMC
EMCM BRYON R. CLEMONS                 LANTAREA CMC
MCPO JACK M. GOODHUE                  CG PSC CMC
EMCM KEVIN D. ISHERWOOD               DCMS CMC
OSCM PENNY A. KOONS                   MFPU BANGOR CMC
TCCM JOHN F. NIECE                    USCGA CMC
AVTCM MARVIN R. WELLS                 PACAREA CMC
EACH CANDIDATE HAD A STELLAR RECORD AND REPRESENTED THE VERY BEST
IN OUR ENLISTED WORK FORCE. I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND THEM FOR THEIR
PAST SERVICE, DEDICATION TO THE COAST GUARD, AND THANK THEM FOR
THEIR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE IN THIS POSITION.
5. RELEASED BY ADM THAD ALLEN, COMMANDANT, U.S. COAST GUARD
6. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.

ALCOAST 034/10
COMDTNOTE 1401
SUBJ: SELECTION OF MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER OF THE COAST GUARD
RESERVE FORCE
1. I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE SELECTION OF BMCM MARK H. ALLEN AS
THE NEXT MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER OF THE COAST GUARD RESERVE
FORCE. HE WILL RELIEVE MCPO-CGRF JEFFREY D. SMITH DURING A CHANGE
OF WATCH CEREMONY ON 15 MAY 2010 AT TISCOM, ALEXANDRIA, VA.
2. BMCM ALLEN CURRENTLY SERVES AS SECTOR JACKSONVILLE'S RESERVE
COMMAND MASTER CHIEF AND HAILS FROM FORT WASHINGTON, MD. HE
ENLISTED IN THE COAST GUARD IN APRIL 1977 AND HAS SERVED IN THE
LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COAST GUARD RESERVE
AFFAIRS BRANCH AT CGHQ, STATION ST. INIGOES (MD), STATION
WASHINGTON (DC), AND STATION ALEXANDRIA (VA). BMCM ALLEN HAS BEEN
RECALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY IN RESPONSE TO CONTINGENCIES SUCH AS THE
9/11 TERRORIST ATTACKS, EL TORO II SINKING, AIR FLORIDA FLIGHT 90
CRASH, AND MARIEL BOAT LIFT. HE HAS ALSO SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE
COAST GUARD RESERVIST EDITORIAL BOARD. BMCM ALLEN HAS ALSO BEEN A
PERSONAL MENTOR TO ME REGARDING RESERVE AFFAIRS AND HAS PROVEN YOU
CAN LEAD FROM ANY LEVEL IN AN ORGANIZATION.
3. BMCM ALLEN HAS DEMONSTRATED HIS COMMITMENT TO OUR CORE VALUES OF
HONOR, RESPECT, AND DEVOTION TO DUTY BY HIS OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
DURING A 32-YEAR COAST GUARD CAREER.
4. A NUMBER OF OUTSTANDING MASTER CHIEFS WITH DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS
APPLIED FOR THIS IMPORTANT AND PRESTIGIOUS POSITION. AFTER A REVIEW
OF ALL CANDIDATES, THREE FINALISTS WERE CHOSEN FOR INTERVIEWS THIS
PAST WEEK. THE NAMES OF ALL APPLICANTS ARE LISTED ALPHABETICALLY:
PACM THOMAS COWAN                  FORCECOM RCMC
MECM ERIC JOHNSON                  SECTOR SAN JUAN CMC
MECM Darrell C. ODOM               DOG RCMC
BMCM KENNETH J. ROCHE              STA SHINNECOCK
BMCM GEORGE M. WILLIAMSON          D5 RCMC
EACH CANDIDATE HAD A STELLAR RECORD AND REPRESENTED THE VERY BEST
IN OUR ENLISTED WORK FORCE. I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND THEM FOR THEIR
PAST SERVICE, DEDICATION TO THE COAST GUARD AND THANK THEM FOR
THEIR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE IN THIS POSITION.
5. RELEASED BY ADM THAD ALLEN, COMMANDANT, U.S. COAST GUARD
6. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.

Photo found here.

Related posts:

1. Why the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, Master Chief Bowen, blogs
2. A “holy cow” amount of new Coast Guard (CGMS) information
3. Update to the Coast Guard Education Manual could be free school for you… if you read it
4. Senior leaders under new Commandant, VADM Papp, announced: Vice Commandant, PAC, LANT, and OPS