Late Friday morning, June 27, members of the U.S. Coast Guard in Boothbay Harbor ushered in a new station chief while honoring the departing brass during a Change of Command ceremony.

Chief Boatswain's Mate Kris Demetros has presided over the USCG at Boothbay Harbor for the past four years. His accomplishments firmly solidified, he stepped down Friday and awarded his post to Chief Botswains' Mate William Armstrong who, for the past three years, was Executive Petty Officer of USCG Station Humboldt Bay.

“Chief Demetros was a very special individual,” Armstrong said. “He is going to be a tough act to follow.”

Specifically, Armstrong spoke highly of the community service Demetros and his crew established within the surrounding area.

“He laid a great foundation of community service,” he said. From Demetros' work with haunted house programs in October to helping the Woodchucks deliver firewood throughout the winter months, Armstrong said, “There are outstanding things (he did) that I want to continue.”

Armstrong said he has not known Demetros for long — only a few weeks, but he said he would like to continue their relationship to properly build upon the culture of work and community firmly established in Boothbay Harbor.

“I plan on keeping in touch with him,” Armstrong continued. “He took a lot of pride (in his work) and was very active with the team here.”

“It is a privilege to be here. Everyone has been so welcoming. I am excited to be here in Maine,” he said.

Boothbay Harbor's Executive Petty Officer Jim Zerinskas acted as Master of Ceremonies during Friday's event. He issued commands throughout the ceremony and introduced his fellow officers. Captain Brian S. Gilda, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, shared his impression of Demetros and Armstrong and saluted the members of the local Coast Guard station for their exemplary service.

“The Changing of Command ceremony is a time-honored tradition in the sea services,” Gilda said when beginning his speech.

“This marks our farewell to Chief Demetros,” he continued.

After thanking the families and friends for attending, he extolled the members of the guard both past and present. All present members stood at attention beside the ceremonial tent during the event.

“It comes down to leadership, professionalism, and a desire to serve,” Gilda remarked. He said it is those elements that make a strong crew, and he applauded the current crew for operating greater than 1,000 hours without a mishap and for firmly supporting Demetros during his tenure.

For his part, during his speech that followed Gilda's, Demetros praised his fellow USCG members and thanked the gathering of friends and family in attendance.

“When I first started here, I wanted to make a difference, and I honestly feel like we did that,” Demetros said, speaking about himself and his crew.

“I've never invested so much in a unit or cared about a crew as much as this crew,” he continued. “This is, honestly, an emotional moment.”

Demetros will continue his work with the Coast Guard in Sitka, Alaska.

Following his speech, Gilda presented Demetros with two awards for his personal exemplary service — the Commendation Medal and the Volunteer Service Award. The Commendation Medal is awarded to any service member who displays distinguishing heroism or meritorious achievement. The Volunteer Service Award is given to members who perform outstanding feats regarding the application of volunteer time and effort. Demetros has volunteered more than 300 hours of his time in the past three years as a member of the USCG.