SAN DIEGO — Cmdr. Earl Potter replaced Cmdr. Adam Disque as the commanding officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Active during a ceremony in San Diego.
Rear Adm. Joanna Hiigel, the deputy commander for the Coast Guard’s Pacific Area, presided over the ceremony on Sunday.
Disque commanded the Active since June 2023. Under his command, the cutter has deployed six times from Washington state to as far south as Nicaragua. The deployments include support of Operation Pacific Guardian and Operation Martillo in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
The cutter also coordinated Coast Guard efforts in Operation Baja Tempested, directing interagency elements in seven interdictions that apprehended 108 illegal alien migrants.
During his command, the crew apprehended nearly 5,000 kilograms of cocaine worth more than $141 million and apprehended 16 narcotics smugglers.
“Serving on a cutter is always an adventure with a variety of challenges at every step,” Disque said. “Active’s crew met those challenges head-on, time and time again. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve with a crew of dedicated professionals. It was an honor, and I will miss the many adventures at sea.”
Disque’s next assignment will be at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I.
Potter, the cutter’s new captain, will report to the Active from the Secretary of Defense Fellowship Program, where he served with the Alaska Air Group. He previously commanded the Coast Guard Cutter Robert Yered and the Coast Guard Cutter Maui.
The Active is a Reliance-class, medium-endurance cutter homeported at Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles.
The Reliance-class cutters are 210 feet long, displace 1,145 tons and have a crew of 75 coast guardsmen.
The class has a top speed of 18 knots and can cruise at 12 knots for 8,000 nautical miles. Their flight decks can support the deployment of HH-65 Dolphin helicopters.
The Active was built by the Christy Corporation at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., and was commissioned in 1966.
The Active is the only medium-endurance cutter stationed on the West Coast.
