COMMISSIONING CEREMONY

The Commissioning Ceremony is the most important Ceremony in the history of a Coast Guard Cutter. The essence of the ceremony is the acceptance of the ship by the Coast Guard, entitling the ship to thereafter fly the Coast Guard Ensign and to be designated a U.S. Coast Guard
Cutter. - The Cutter then inherits a proud tradition dating back to the early days of the Revenue Cutter Service.

Congress established the Coast Guard Ensign in 1799 to distinguish Revenue Cutters from other ships. The ensign's 16 stripes represent the 16 states of the union that were established then. The Arms of the United States appear in the upper left comer of the Coast Guard Ensign. The Coast Guard seal was added in 1910.

Honors are rendered to distinguished military guests and civilian visitors, as well as foreign military officers. The Boatswains pipe dates from the days of antiquity when either a pipe or flute was used to signal strokes of
the oars on Roman or Greek vessels. The pipe has been used since the Middle Ages for salutes to distinguished persons and passage of orders to a vessel's crew. The shrill notes of a boatswains pipe are to a sailor what the bugle's notes are to a soldier.

There are two major steps in the commissioning process. Initially, the builder turns the ship over to the Group Commander who receives the ship and executes the commissioning. The Group Commander then turns the ship over to the Prospective Officer in Charge who accepts the ship, assumes command, and proceeds to host the remainder of the ceremony. The Hoisting of the Coast Guard Ensign, assumption of command, setting of the watch and manning of the ship symbolize SAILFISH's new status and the U.S. Coast Guard's motto. Semper Paratus (Always Ready). Today's ceremony formerly recognizes and welcomes SAILFISH into the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Service.

SPONSOR

The origin of the ship's sponsor dates back hundreds of years and has changed as much as the ships themselves. The sponsor is a woman invited to bestow good luck and divine protection over the craft and all that sail onboard. In today's era this may take place at the christening with the traditional breaking of a bottle of champagne against the bow or at the commissioning with the exchange of gifts between the sponsor and the new ship's crew.