Command structure changing at Cherry Point
CHERRY POINT - Marine Corps changes in command structure become effective Saturday and mean one less general for Cherry Point.
September 28,2005
BY Sue Book View stories by reporter
Sun Journal Staff
CHERRY POINT - Marine Corps changes in command structure become effective Saturday and mean one less general for Cherry Point.
The first such reorganization in more than a decade follows similar moves by all other branches of the service and internal discussion for more than a year.
"The Marine Corps is realigning the command of our bases and stations to improve command and control and provide better support to the operating forces," said Capt. Mike O'Connor, head of the facilities branch at the Navy Annex in Washington.
He said the under secretary of the Navy approved the plan Sept. 6.
Goals include improved readiness, streamlined communications, better joint forces alignment, improved unitization of regional assets and infrastructure, and potential savings through economy of scale.
Headquarters for the eastern segment of the new command will be at Camp Lejeune, "and the base commander at Camp Lejeune elevates to Commanding General of Marine Corps Installations East," O'Connor said.
Gen. Robert C. Dickerson now commands Camp Lejeune and will be the first in that position. His current base command position is filled by a colonial, who reports to MCI-East, as will base command posts at Cherry Point, New River and Beaufort, S.C., as well as Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico, Va., Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Ga. and Blount Island Command in Jacksonville, Fla.
The position of commander of the Second Marine Aircraft Wing will still be headed by a general, presently Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Moore, and will still be based at Cherry Point.
The general position assigned to command Cherry Point since that base was commissioned May 20, 1942 as Cunningham Field will now be "used by the Commandant of the Marine Corps for the Global War on Terrorism," O'Connor said.
Brig. Gen. Charles S. "Steve" Patton, the last general to occupy the Cherry Point Commanding General billet, was deployed to Iraq early this year after assuming command in August 2004. The assignment, his fourth at Cherry Point, followed work as deputy director of warfare integration assessment under the chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon.
Col. David Buland has served as acting commander since that time and is expected to continue in that capacity following deactivation ceremonies Friday at Cherry Point.
Ceremonies for the Camp Lejeune command changes, including commissioning MCI-East, are slated for Tuesday.
The Marine Corps expects the realignment, which was "kept very internal" to avoid any appearance of connection to the 2005 Defense Base Realignment and Closure process, to "have no job losses associated with it and has to be implemented with existing resources."
Sue Book can be reached at 635-5666 or sbook@freedomenc.com.