Greenville native honored during Maine Maritime Academy’s annual Change of Command Ceremony
CASTINE – Maine Maritime Academy President Dr. William J. Brennan along with Vice President Dr. Elizabeth True, Capt. Brendan McAvoy and Commandant of Midshipmen John Cashman presided over the Academy’s Change of Command Ceremony last month, welcoming a new group of students into critical leadership roles.
This annual ceremony honors the symbolic and physical transfer of authority and responsibilities between two classes of student leaders; graduating First Class Midshipmen pass their leadership positions to Second Class Midshipmen who will guide the Regiment through next spring.
Traditionally, the Change of Command Ceremony takes place in-person before the entire Regiment. This year, in an effort to keep the entire MMA community safe, only the incoming and outgoing student leaders attended in-person. The event was live-streamed, and a recording of the ceremony can be found online https://mainemaritime.edu/student-life/regimental-program/change-of-command-ceremony/.
“We are incredibly grateful to our outgoing student leaders,” said Commandant Cashman. “Their leadership has had a profound and positive impact on Regimental operations during this unprecedented time.”
In addition to performing traditional responsibilities as designated by their roles, the outgoing class of 2021 leadership were instrumental in helping facilitate multiple transitions to remote operations, completing pre-cruise familiarization of our training ship State of Maine, orchestrating a safe Regimental Preparatory Training evolution for incoming freshmen, and maintaining Regimental standards throughout the college’s successful return to campus this spring.
“Incoming class of 2022 officers are taking the lead during another historic time at MMA as we continue to adapt based on the pandemic, but we have no doubt that they will excel in meeting their responsibilities and in providing critical guidance and support for their peers over the course of the next year,” continued Cashman.
As they settle into their roles, the new officers are preparing for a rigorous at-sea training schedule, including two cruises this summer and an additional rotation this fall. They will also continue planning for the arrival of incoming Regimental students in August and evolve daily operations to accommodate changing health and safety protocols. Information about current activities can be found on the MMA website.
Outgoing class of 2021 Regimental Commander is 1/C Matthew Harris, a Marine Transportation Operations major from Perry passed his responsibilities to incoming class of 2022 Regimental Commander 2/C John Watt, a Marine Engineering Technology major from Greenville.
The incoming Class of 2022 Wedge and Company Commanders includes Cadet Chief Engineer: Midshipman 2/C Jacob Olson, a marine engineering technology from Charleston.