Commander Joseph Gaskill, Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Maritime Force Protection Unit in Kings Bay, Georgia since June 2016 transferred command and began retirement from the service after more than 33 years of active duty.

Commander Gaskill enlisted in the Coast Guard September 29, 1986 and served aboard numerous Coast Guard cutters and shore units throughout his career.  Tours of duty included operations to Support the Nation’s War on Terrorism, counter-drug patrols, and maritime operations focused on defending the country’s maritime interests. He was one of a few Coast Guardsmen who forward deployed with U. S. Army units into Afghanistan to support U. S. led coalition operations.  

Commander Gaskill and his wife Stephanie, plan to live on Ocracoke much of the year and hope to develop a small business highlighting the island’s unique charm.