Belanger takes over command following Coast Guard ceremony

Published 12:15 pm Tuesday, July 21, 2026

PORT ANGELES — Cmdr. Beau C. Belanger has assumed command of U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, succeeding Cmdr. Kelly L. Higgins during a change of command ceremony.

Capt. William L. Mees, chief of staff for the Coast Guard’s Northwest District, presided over the July 9 ceremony, which marked the formal transfer of authority, responsibility and accountability for the unit.

Belanger most recently attended the U.S. Army War College, according to a news release. Prior to that, he served as engineering officer at Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen in Puerto Rico.

“I am very fortunate to be joining such an outstanding crew and community here in Port Angeles,” Belanger stated in the release.

“I look forward to continuing the tradition of excellence our crews have upheld in the Pacific Northwest for the last 91 years.”

Higgins took command of Air Station Port Angeles in 2024. During her tenure, the unit conducted 225 search-and-rescue cases, saving or assisting 45 lives, according to the news release.

Following the ceremony, Higgins reported to the Coast Guard Northwest District in Seattle, where she will serve as incident management chief.

Most recently, a Port Angeles air station crew rescued a woman from Puget Sound nearly 2 miles off Edmonds Pier on Friday. A rescue swimmer located the woman using a handheld night-vision device, and the crew hoisted her from the water and transported her to Paine Field for medical treatment.

Commissioned in 1935, Air Station Port Angeles is the Coast Guard’s oldest continuously operating air station. The unit conducts search and rescue, law enforcement and marine resource conservation missions throughout the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the northwestern Washington coast and Puget Sound.