Photo By Staff Sgt. Earnest J. Barnes | The color guard, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South, marches toward the reviewing stand...... read more read more
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MIAMI — Maj. Gen. John M. Croley relinquished command of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South (MARFORSOUTH) to Brig. Gen. W. “Blake” Crowe during a change of command ceremony at the U.S. Southern Command headquarters today.
In an area of the nation where rain is nearly a daily occurrence, the clouds held back as distinguished visitors took their places in the reviewing area and the Marines formed the parade.
A brass quintet from the Marine Corps Band New Orleans, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve kicked off the ceremony with a heartfelt serenade where they played the University of South Carolina’s fight song, Croley’s alma mater.
General Douglas Fraser, the commander of U.S. Southern Command, officiated the ceremony and outlined the past and present contributions of Croley to Latin America during an address to the crowd.
“This is his second time to command Marine Forces South… We saw an opportunity — the Marine Corps saw the opportunity for — the right guy, the right time, a great fit for what we needed for our Marine forces and in our Marine engagement within the SOUTHCOM {area of responsibility}.”
Croley, a native of Gadsden Ala., is completing his second tour of duty as the Commander, MARFORSOUTH to which Fraser revered his efforts with kind words.
“He came in at the end of Haiti, in a time where we were continuing to understand how we could support the needs of the people in Haiti as they continued to recover from a devastating earthquake,” said Fraser.
Fraser said Croley brought his leadership, passion, and innovation to SOUTHCOM and continuously looked for ways Marines could engage and provide support in the region. He added Croley has built very strong relationships with his Marine Corps and naval infantry counterparts throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Croley, whose parents reside in Oxford, Ala., which is 34 miles south of his hometown, noted it was not his contributions which built those relationships, but the Marines under his command.
“I know a lot of nice words were said by General Fraser about what John Croley does, but this is not John Croley as you know, it is these great Marines here—a very nimble, agile, and as Tom Friedman said, a very flat organization.” said Croley.
Croley turned the microphone over to Crowe after speaking to the guests about his past two tours as the commander, specifically highlighting his Marines accomplishments and the lifelong relationships he has developed.
Crowe spoke to the many distinguished guests in attendance expressing his appreciation for the opportunity to assume the role as the commander of MARFORSOUTH, particularly Fraser and Lt. Gen. John M. Paxton Jr., the Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command. The newly dubbed commander then turned his attention to the Marines.
“My philosophy on command is pretty simple—it’s about mission,” Crowe firmly stated. “We do more with less—that’s in our blood.”
Crowe ended his comments to the Marines with three simple requests. “Be creative, use initiative, and get the mission done. We can do that.”
Marine Forces South is the U. S. Marine Corps Service Component Command for U. S. Southern Command. MARFORSOUTH commands all Marine forces assigned to Commander SOUTHCOM; advises the Commander SOUTHCOM on the proper employment and support of Marine forces; conducts deployment and redeployment planning and execution of assigned, attached Marine forces, and accomplishes other operational missions as assigned.
Marines are continuously engaged in planning, coordinating, and executing the involvement of Marine forces in Foreign Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief, Counter-Transnational Organized Crime, and other operations and activities in support of U.S. Southern Command theater strategic objectives.
| Date Taken: | 09.20.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 09.24.2012 14:04 |
| Story ID: | 95208 |
| Location: | MIAMI, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 550 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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