The Gator Nation is everywhere - including the high seas

April 7, 2009

The U.S. Coast Guard added a University of Florida-adopted vessel to its fleet during a commissioning ceremony held Monday, March 9, at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg.

UF officially adopted Coast Guard Cutter Alligator, an 87-foot coastal patrol boat. As part of the adoption, the vessel will host a Gator graphic on its flag box, a case containing ceremonial and signal flags.

“She will be a welcome asset for Sector St. Petersburg, one of the Coast Guard’s busiest and most active commands,” said U.S. Rep. John Mica, a UF graduate and keynote speaker of the ceremony. “The often tough and difficult demands of modern Coast Guard missions require highly capable, multi-mission platforms, and the Cutter Alligator is exactly that.”

Mica is the ranking member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the U.S. House of Representatives. The committee supervises issues relating to the Coast Guard and maritime transportation.

Rear Adm. Steve Branham, commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District, presided over the ceremony.

Patricia Mica, the congressman’s wife and the vessel’s sponsor, also spoke at the ceremony.

“I am honored to be the Coast Guard Cutter Alligator’s sponsor,” Patricia Mica said. “It gives me great pleasure to be a part of this time-honored naval tradition.”

Rep. Mica’s brother, David Mica, also attended. The former UF Alumni Association president took part in the momentous ceremony, along with his wife and children. David Mica’s children include two UF graduates and one current UF student.

More than two-dozen members of The Gator Nation, including representatives of both the Tampa and Pinellas County Gator Clubs, were present for the vessel’s commissioning. UF mascots Albert and Alberta also were in attendance.

Carlos Alfonso, UF trustee, was recognized during the ceremony, along with Joe Hice, UF associate vice president of marketing and public relations, and Dan Williams, UF director of marketing.

After the ceremony, Alfonso said, “It was an honor to represent the University of Florida at the commissioning of cutter Alligator and to recognize the hard work and dedication of the U.S. Coast Guard and the men and women who will sail her.”

Lt. j.g. Andrew Vicks now has command of the 11-member crew and will conduct Alligator’s missions along the western coast of Florida. Missions include search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, marine environmental protection and homeland security.

Alligator joins cutters Nantucket, Ocracoke and Crocodile as part of the Sector St. Petersburg patrol fleet. The boat is the fifth United States commissioned vessel to bear the name Alligator.

UF’s ceremonial adoption of Alligator was at no cost to the university.