There’s a new man at the helm of I Marine Expeditionary Force following a change-of-command ceremony at Camp Pendleton Friday.
U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Bradford Gering relinquished command of I MEF to Lt. Gen. Michael Cederholm, former deputy commandant for aviation at Headquarters Marine Corps, during the ceremony.
Presiding over the change of command was Gen. Christopher Mahoney, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps.
“Your strategic vision, your operational acumen and your truck-stop wisdom (have) become legendary,” Mahoney told Cederholm. “I know you will continue to push forward.”
During the ceremony, Cederholm spoke of his commitment to maintaining the vitality of the expeditionary force and ensuring the readiness of its Marines.
“I MEF is America’s hammer,” he told the gathering. “We come to fight, and we come to win. I’m excited to get after it and get into the attack.”
In his remarks, the outgoing commander heralded the performance of I MEF during his six-month tenure.
“Whether we were training forces, certifying them and deploying them in support of our global responsibilities; whether we were modernizing the force and implementing force-design initiatives; whether we were aggressively campaigning west of the (international dateline) with allies and partners, everybody in this command – all leaders at every level – executed absolutely brilliantly,” Gering said.
U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro told the gathering he was “filled with pride knowing that I MEF is a firm pillar of our Marine Corps and, indeed, our national defense,”
“I MEF plays an integral role in regional stability,” Del Toro said. “I MEF is deployable anywhere, anytime and in any circumstances – and you do just that.”
– City News Service