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Press Release | June 5, 2023

Coast Guard establishes Marine Safety Detachment Nags Head

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PORTSMOUTH, Va. – The Coast Guard held a ceremony in Nags Head, North Carolina, Monday, to establish Marine Safety Detachment (MSD) Nags Head, replacing Sector Field Office Cape Hatteras.

This change allows the unit to efficiently use resources to focus on the marine safety mission. 

MSD Nags Head oversees safety and security regulatory compliance for 54 U.S. vessels, drydock operations at the state’s largest shipyard, four Maritime Transportation Security Act facilities and over 1,300 commercial fishing vessels. They inspect the nation’s largest ferry fleet and manage marine casualty investigations of credentialed U.S. mariners. 

Establishing MSD Nags Head does not affect any surrounding units’ ability to maintain mission readiness and operational capabilities or require any relocation of operational assets.