In his last official act as air station commander, Capt. Michael J. Andres on Wednesday took charge of six newly modified C-130J aircraft and decommissioned the special Coast Guard office that had overseen the overhaul work.

Shortly afterward, Andres handed over the reins of the air station — and the C-130s — to Capt. John T. Hardin during a change-of-command ceremony at the U.S. Coast Guard base.

Andres, who has been reassigned to the Fifth Coast Guard District office in Portsmouth, Va., said he was proud of the numerous awards air station personnel achieved under his command.

He said he was particularly proud of their work rescuing two boaters whose catamaran had overturned in the Atlantic Ocean near Bermuda, some 750 nautical miles away. It took a Coast Guard aircrew five hours to reach Bermuda, and another two hours to perform the rescue, Andres said.

The outgoing commander also recalled Coast Guard aircrews' work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and the Gulf coast just weeks after Andres arrived at the air station in the summer of 2005.

Andres, who will serve as chief of response for the 5th Coast Guard District commander, said the professionalism of his personnel is what stood out most for him during his tenure in Elizabeth City. Under Andres command, Elizabeth City-based aircrews flew more than 3,800 hours to rescued 393 people.

Andres' replacement, Hardin, is no stranger to the air station. He's returning after a two-year stint with the Eighth Coast Guard District in New Orleans. Prior to that, he worked at the Aircraft Repair and Supply Center at the Elizabeth City base before being named first commander of the base's Aircraft Program Office. The APO was in charge of adapting the six C-130J airplanes for law enforcement and search and rescue missions that Andres took possession of at Wednesday's ceremony.

According to Capt. James F. Martin, the APO's outgoing commander, the Coast Guard established a separate command at the Elizabeth City base to oversee the overhaul work on the C-130Js. The project, which cost approximately $140 million and took 18 months to complete, converted six aircraft originally designed for use by the U.S. Air Force into Coast Guard aircraft.

While the Coast Guard had overhauled other aircraft before, prior to the APO it had never set up a separate command to handle the job, Martin said.

Rear Admiral Ronald J. Rabago, Coast Guard programs executive officer, said the APO was a model for the "product line management concept" the Coast Guard used to modify the C-130Js.

Three of the C-130Js have been completely modified, Martin said. The other three still need radar, sensors and communications equipment to be installed. He expects that work to be completed within a year, he said.

When all six planes are fully updated, Air Station Elizabeth City will have the only aircraft like them in the Coast Guard, Martin said.

Because the C-130J modification project is now considered complete, the APO is being decommissioned. Martin said personnel assigned to the APO have been reassigned to positions either at the Elizabeth City base or at a Coast Guard base in Mobile, Ala. Martin has received orders to work in the Acquisitions Directorate at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Hardin, the air station's new commander, said his challenges will include overseeing the final work on the three C-130Js and continuing the work of the Maritime Security and Response Team, which assumed counter-terrorism responsibilities four years ago.

"The biggest challenge is how well I can support my people," he added.

Rear Adm. Fred M. Rosa Jr., commander of the Fifth Coast Guard District, officiated at Wednesday's ceremony, which was held in Hangar 55 on the base.