BUSH APPOINTS COAST GUARD COMMANDANT
President Bush has appointed Vice Adm. Thomas H. Collins to be the 22nd commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Pending confirmation by the Senate, Collins will relieve current commandant, James M. Loy, at a formal ceremony planned for May 30 in Washington.
A Coast Guard Academy graduate in 1968, Collins began his Coast Guard service at sea aboard the Coast Guard medium endurance cutter 'Vigilant.' He later commanded the patrol boat 'Cape Morgan,' a Coast Guard group at Long Island Sound, N.Y., and the 14th Coast Guard District at Honolulu. He also served in several headquarters assignments including deputy chief of staff.
'Tom Collins brings a combination of scholarly intelligence, practical experience at sea, and Washington policy experience to the critical job of commandant at a time when the Coast Guard is facing a host of new missions,' said Norman Y. Mineta, Department of Transportation secretary.