The Coast Guard Cutter Tornado will welcome its new Commanding Officer during a change-of-command ceremony at the Naval Station in Pascagoula, Miss. on Fridayy.
Lt. Cmdr. Robert J. Landolfi Jr. will relieve Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hollingshead who served as the Commanding Officer of the Tornado for the past two years.
Hollingshead assumed command of Coast Guard Cutter Tornado in October 2004.
Tornado is one of five 179-foot Cyclone-class Patrol Coastal cutters (PC-179s) transferred to the Coast Guard from the Navy. Tornado rapidly proved ideally-suited for Coast Guard operations as it deployed in support of the Coast Guard counter-drug, alien migrant interdiction, homeland security, and search and rescue missions in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, Florida Straits, and Atlantic Ocean.
Prior to assuming command of Tornado, Hollingshead was Executive Officer of Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia, supervising a squadron of Coast Guar and Navy patrol boats in the Persian Gulf. From 2000 to 2003, he was Chief of the Military Personal Policy division Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington DC. His previous assignments also include Commanding Officer of the 110 foot Coast Guard Cutter Baranof (WPB 1318),Search and Rescue and Law Enforcement Controller at the Miami Rescue Coordination Center, as Executive Officer on the Coast Guard Cutter Nantucket (WPA 1316), and Deck Watch Officer onboard the Coast Guard Cutter Yocona (WMEC 168). His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal and three Coast Guard Commendation Medals with Operational Distinguishing Devices. He is a native of Geyserville, California. Hollingshead and his wife Bebe live in Ocean Springs, Miss..
Landolfi is reporting from Headquarters Offices of Command and Control Architecture and Cutter Forces where he was the Operational Sponsor's Representative for the Deepwater Acquisition Project's Fast
Response Cutter since January 2003.
Landolfi has served as Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Jefferson Island, Operations Officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Venturous, Officer in Charge of Tactical law Enforcement Team Gulf, Law Enforcemnt Detachment
Eight Bravo, and Deck Watch Officer aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Courageous. Lieutenant Commander Landolfi's personal awards include four Coast Guard Commendation Medals, and the U.S. Navy Achievement Medal.