Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Matthew Bragg | Sgt. Maj. Justin LeHew, outgoing regimental sergeant major, left, and Sgt. Maj....... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII - Sgt. Maj. Vincent Santiago took the helm as the incoming regimental sergeant major of 3rd Marine Regiment during a relief and appointment ceremony at Dewey Square, Aug. 20, 2013. Service members, families and friends attended the ceremony to say goodbye to Sgt. Maj. Justin LeHew.
As tradition, both sergeants major marched onto the parade deck for the passing of the Noncommissioned Officers’ Sword. The ceremony relieved LeHew of his duties and handed them over to Santiago.
During the speeches, Col. Timothy Winand, commanding officer of 3rd Marines, explained how LeHew played a significant role in 3rd Marines, and how involved he was during his 27 months as the regimental sergeant major.
“When I first heard that Sgt. Maj. LeHew was moving on and moving to Quantico, my first thought was, ‘Well, who will be the new Sgt. Maj. LeHew?,’” Winand said. “I heard the name Santiago, and I was relieved. I’m really excited Sgt. Maj. Vincent Santiago is here with 3rd Marines.”
Before Santiago spoke to the audience, he excused himself briefly and turned around to speak to his newly appointed Marines. With intensity emerging from every word, Santiago promised he would not embarrass himself, his Marines or the Marine Corps and demanded the same promise from all of them.
“I know the guy that’s replacing me is the right man for the job, and I know he loves them and will take them places beyond what I ever could,” LeHew explained.
While the ceremony recognized the expectations of the incoming sergeant major, it also recognized the accomplishments of the outgoing sergeant major.
Winand took a moment and read an anonymous letter to the audience which complimented LeHew’s character as a Marine:
“By all accounts I have seen and served with great people over the years, but Sgt. Maj. LeHew is hands down the finest Marine I have seen on this base or any other. I am most certain we are going to see this man running the entire Marine Corps in the future and we should be doing whatever we can aboard this base to highlight this man to the rest of the world.”
During his time as the regimental sergeant major, LeHew worked closely with each of the battalions as they deployed time and time again. Despite the stress that came with the job, he ensured his staff NCOs accomplished the mission of maintaining each of their Marines’ warrior ethos and work ethic to meet the highest standards of the Marine Corps, according to Col. Nathan Nastase, former commanding officer of 3rd Marines.
“He cared deeply for each and every one of his Marines,” Nastase said. “That’s the real challenge for Sgt. Maj. Santiago to meet and exceed.”
As Santiago starts his tour as the 3rd Marines regimental sergeant major, LeHew will report to Training and Education Command in Quantico to assume his new duties.
“When they say right hand man, Sgt. Maj. LeHew is the perfect example,” Nastase said. “Working with him was one of the best opportunities I received.”
| Date Taken: | 08.20.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 08.23.2013 16:12 |
| Story ID: | 112525 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 819 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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