Rear Adm. David C. Barata, Eighth Coast Guard District commander, speaks at change-of-command ceremony at the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana, June 23, 2023. As the 8th District commander, Barata is responsible for all Coast Guard operations spanning 26 states, including the Gulf of Mexico coastline from Florida to Mexico, the adjacent offshore waters and outer continental shelf, and the inland waterways of the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee River systems. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class James Hague)