June 5, 2024 –
First female and first Latino to take the helm of Key West Joint military command
Coast Guard Rear Admiral Jo-Ann F. Burdian assumed command of Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATFS) today, in a change of command ceremony at the Tennessee Williams Theater in Key West, FL. JIATFS is a U.S. Department of Defense entity that detects and monitors illegal drug trafficking in international waters and air within the Western hemisphere, in support of regional security.
Rear Admiral Burdian is the eighteenth director of the 35-year-old task force, the first female, and first latino assuming command from the previous JIATFS director, Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mark J. Fedor.
A native of Queens NY, Rear Admiral Burdian is a 1997 graduate of the U.S. Coast GuardAcademy where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Government. She also holds a Masters in Public Administration from Florida State University. She has been awarded numerous personal, unit, campaign, and service awards.
The Change of Command ceremony was presided over by General Laura J. Richardson, Commander of U.S. Southern Command.
Images from the Change of Command ceremony can be found at:
###
Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATFS), organized under U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), conducts detection and monitoring operations throughout its joint operations area to facilitate the interdiction of illicit trafficking in support of national and partner nation security. For more information about JIATFS, visit www.jiatfs.southcom.mil. For more information about SOUTHCOM, visit: www.southcom.mil.