Command

Commanding Officer: Commander Ben Russell

Commander Ben Russell, a native of Olympia, Washington, enlisted in the Coast Guard on January 3^rd, 2000, and graduated from Training Center Cape May, New Jersey. His first assignment was on the Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell, a 378’ High Endurance Cutter homeported in Alameda, CA, where he served as Helmsman, Boarding Team Member and Seaman in charge of the non-rated personnel within the Deck Force.  

Commander Russell then attended Marine Science Technician (MST) A-school, and upon graduation as a Third Class Petty Officer was assigned to Marine Safety Office Detroit, where he served as a Port State Control Officer conducting inspections on foreign vessels transiting the Great Lakes. He qualified as a Pollution Investigator and served as a Federal On-Scene Coordinator’s representative during the largest oil spill in the Detroit River’s history.  Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, he established an innovative domestic and foreign deep-draft vessel identification, tracking and communication system which was implemented throughout the CG’s Ninth District and used to maintain the safety and security of the marine transportation system across the Great Lakes. As a result, Commander Russell was selected as MSO Detroit’s Sailor of the Year and to attend Officer Candidate School. Commander Russell earned his commission on November 11, 2003.

His first assignment as a Coast Guard officer was as the Executive Officer of Marine Safety Detachment Belfast, ME where he led port operations along 2,000 miles of Maine’s coastline. As a Lieutenant, he transferred to Fort Monroe, VA, where he served as the Coast Guard’s Liaison to U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Task Force Civil Support Command. While there, Commander Russell earned the Defense Support of Civil Authorities certification and contributed to strategic planning doctrine for the nation’s response following a chemical, biological, cyber and terrorist attack on our country’s soil.

Returning to Michigan in 2007, Commander Russell reported to Sector Field Office Grand Haven as the Executive Officer where he was responsible for the naval and civil engineering readiness of 10 Coast Guard Search and Rescue Stations along Lake Michigan’s Eastern shore. During his tour, Commander Russell was deployed twice to serve as the Area Command Branch Director for Baldwin County, AL, where he led the response efforts of 2,000 Coast Guard and pollution response contractors during the Deep Water Horizon oil spill.

From 2011 to 2016, Commander Russell served as the Chief of Inspections at Marine Safety Unit Portland, OR, and supervised vessel inspections and investigations along the West Coast and throughout 3,000 miles of the Columbia and Snake rivers, and performed deep-draft vessel construction oversight at the nation’s largest dry dock. Commander Russell is reporting to Marine Safety Unit Morgan City after four years serving on the Coast Guard Eighth District staff where he served as the Chief of Inspections and Investigations responsible for mission support of 13 Captain of the Port zones and over 40% of the Coast Guard’s marine safety workload. 

Commander Russell is a 1998 graduate of the University of St. Martin in Lacey, WA, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. He is a 2017 graduate from the American Military University where he earned a Master’s Degree with Honors in Public Administration. His personal awards include the Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medal, the Department of Defense Joint Commendation Medal and multiple personal and unit awards. He and his wife, Jennifer Russell, have two daughters and four sons: Jasper, Savannah, Walker, Gracelyn, Wyatt, and Henry.

 Executive Officer: Lt. Cmdr. Matt Winland

Lt. Cmdr. Matt Winland is from Tullahoma, TN and graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 2007, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Management.  His first assignment was as a Deck Watch Officer on the USCGC ALDER (WLB-216) homeported in Duluth, MN.  He conducted ice-breaking, aids to navigation, law enforcement, and search and rescue operations on the Great Lakes.

In 2009, LCDR Winland transitioned to the Prevention field as a marine inspector at Marine Safety Unit Huntington, WV.  He conducted inspections and investigations throughout more than 800 miles of navigable waterways in WV, OH, and KY.  LCDR Winland’s follow-on inspection tour took him down the bayou to Marine Safety Unit Houma, LA.  While stationed in Houma, he attended Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA, where he earned a Master of Business Administration.

In 2015, LCDR Winland reported to Marine Safety Field Office Lafayette, LA.  He was responsible for all vessel inspections and investigations in the western edge of Sector New Orleans’ area of responsibility, spanning more than 100 miles of navigable waterways, including the Intracoastal Waterway, Freshwater Bayou, and the Vermilion River.  In October 2016, LCDR Winland transitioned Marine Safety Field Office Lafayette to Marine Safety Detachment Lafayette.

In July 2021, following a three-year tour at USCG Headquarters in Washington, D.C., in the Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance (CVC-1) where he was the subject matter specialist on offshore supply vessels, LCDR Winland reported to Marine Safety Unit Morgan City as the Executive Officer.

LCDR Winland lives in Houma with his wife, Sarah, and two children.