U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City is scheduled to have a change of command ceremony at Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City in Pomona, N.J., Friday at 11 a.m. During the ceremony, Capt. Nick Bartolotta will assume the responsibilities of the commanding officer from Capt. Paul Ratte.
Bartolotta graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1989 with a Bachelors Degree in Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture. Upon commissioning, his first assignment as an ensign was aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Tampa in Portsmouth, Va. In 1991 he reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., and upon graduation was assigned to Coast Guard Air Station Savannah, Ga. After completing his first tour, he was selected to be a HH-65 Dolphin instructor pilot and command flight safety officer at Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, La. In June 2000, he transferred to Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington D.C. and was assigned to the Office of Aviation Forces as the Dolphin platform manager, responsible for operations and upgrades to all 98 of the Coast Guard’s Dolphin helicopter inventory. After his tour was completed at Coast Guard Headquarters, Bartolotta returned to the aviation community in 2004 when he was assigned as the operations officer and re-designated as an instructor pilot at Coast Guard Air Station Detroit, Mich. In June 2007, he returned to Savannah, this time serving as executive officer at Air Station Savannah, Ga., and completed his Masters of Science in Aviation Safety Management. Bartolotta has received multiple Meritorious Service Medals, Commendation Medals, Achievement Medals and other personal and unit awards.
Ratte has served as the commanding officer of the air station since Aug. 17, 2007. Ratte is retiring after the ceremony.
