U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Dan Broadhurst relieved Capt. Gregory A. Matyas as the 10th commanding officer of Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) during a change of command ceremony Friday, July 14, 2023, at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Florida.
Rear Admiral Nathan Moore, deputy commander of Coast Guard Atlantic Area, presided over the ceremony.
Broadhurst previously served as chief of Incident Management at the Thirteenth Coast Guard District and has also served two previous tours at HITRON, most recently as the executive officer, from 2019 to 2021.
“I am humbled and honored to return for a third tour at HITRON,” said Broadhurst. “Jacksonville is my own hometown and I eagerly look forward to supporting the community and the unit which have shaped my life and my career.
“I could not be more proud of the exceptional work this team accomplishes throughout the Western Hemisphere and the immeasurable impact our mission has on regional security and U.S. national counterdrug strategy.”
Matyas served as the commanding officer of HITRON from May 2020 to July 2023. Matyas retired following the change of command ceremony after 27 years of dedicated service.
The change of command ceremony marks a transfer of total responsibility and authority from one individual to another. It is a time-honored tradition to formally demonstrate the continuity of authority within a command conducted before the assembled unit and esteemed guests and dignitaries.
Known as the “Force from Above,” HITRON is the Coast Guard’s single provider of forward-deployed airborne use of force aviation detachments across Western Hemisphere narcotics transit zones. Since its inception in 1999, the unit has been responsible for the seizure of over $28.2 billion in illicit narcotics.
This press release was prepared and distributed by the U.S. Coast Guard.
