James Mattis became the 26th defense secretary Jan. 20, 2017. During more than four decades in uniform, he commanded Marines at all levels, including in combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Following his retirement from the U.S.Marine Corps in 2013, Secretary Mattis served as the Davies Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, specializing in the...
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos visited U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) April 25 to thank command personnel for their steadfast support to his country’s security efforts. During the visit, Santos presented the Department of Defense’s geographic unified command with his country’s Orden de San Carlos (Order of San Carlos) Medal for SOUTHCOM’s unwavering support for Colombia’s...
Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford became the 19th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Oct. 1, 2015. Prior to assuming the role of principal military advisor to the president, defense secretary and National Security Council, Dunford was the 36th commandant of the Marine Corps. Commissioned in 1977, Dunford served as an infantry officer at all levels, including commanding the 5th Marine...
U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Jon M. Davis, deputy commandant of Aviation, retired at Marine Barracks Washington, Washington, D.C., July 10, 2017. Davis retired after 40 years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps.
A Marine legend passed away December 8, 2016. Col John H. Glenn Jr. — an astronaut, a senator, a Marine — died at the age of 95. Upon completing his training in 1943, Glenn served as a fighter pilot in WWII and the Korean War. For his service in 149 combat missions in two wars, he received numerous honors, including the Distinguished Flying Cross (six occasions) and the Air Medal with...
"The squadron is the beating heart of the United States Air Force; our most essential team. We succeed or fail in our missions at the squadron-level because that is where we develop, train, and build Airmen. Our service culture and traditions manifest themselves in the squadron because our Airmen most readily identify with this core fighting unit. Squadrons are the engines of innovation and...
Marine & Family Programs at Camp Pendleton exists to provide a comprehensive and balanced platform of programs for our Marines, Sailors and their Families. Marine and Family Programs are comprised of four branches: Family Care, Behavioral Health, Personal and Professional Development and Marine Corps Family Team Building. Each branch offers a world of opportunities that contribute to mission,...
In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established a presidential directive allowing African Americans to be recruited in the Marine Corps. African American recruits were not trained at Parris Island or San Diego, but were segregated and received basic training at Montford Point, a facility at Camp Lejeune, N.C. From 1942-1949, approximately 20,000 African American recruits received training...
