The Coast Guard Air Station at Barbers Point yesterday held a change-of-command ceremony for its new commanding officer.

Capt. Bradley Bean will oversee the 250 men and women at the Barbers Point station. He succeeds Capt. Kurt DeVoe, who is transferring to United States Northern Command in Colorado Springs, Colo. DeVoe, a helicopter pilot, has served as the air station's commanding officer since 2003.

During DeVoe's tenure, the air station's crew conducted more than 727 rescue missions, including several long-distance missions to Kwajalein and Chuuk. The air station crew provided temporary civilian emergency medical transport following the grounding of Hawaii Air Ambulance in March.

Also during his tenure, Barbers Point aircrews twice rescued Australian pilots forced to ditch their planes.

Bean arrives from the Coast Guard's Aviation Training Station in Mobile, Ala., where he was involved in providing aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Bean previously served at Barbers Point before transferring to Alabama. He also served aboard two Coast Guard missions to Antarctica.