Photo By Lance Cpl. Joseph DeMarcus | U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Aaron Colling, outgoing Sergeant Major of Marine Corps...... read more read more
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. — Marines, sailors and civilian personnel gathered at Fort Meade on July 10, 2025, for a relief and appointment ceremony as Sgt. Maj. Aaron C. Colling relinquished his post and Sgt. Maj. Jason Leader assumed responsibilities as the senior enlisted advisor for both Marine Corps Cyberspace Warfare Group and Force Headquarters Group. The ceremony marked a formal transfer of responsibility and continuity of enlisted leadership within a command central to the Marine Corps' cyberspace mission.
Relief and appointment ceremonies are long-standing Marine Corps traditions that celebrate the continuity of leadership among senior enlisted ranks. These events highlight the distinct responsibilities of the sergeant major, the unit's senior enlisted leader and direct link between the commander and enlisted Marines.
During his tenure, Colling guided MCCYWG and FHG through a period of rapid growth and operational innovation. As the senior enlisted leader of units at the forefront of cyberspace operations and information warfare, he fostered a warfighting culture rooted in technical proficiency, strategic awareness, and team cohesion.
"The Marine Corps Cyberwarfare Group is essentially a vanguard, a group of military professionals leading the way in the development of new ideas in warfighting," said Colling during the ceremony. "We are critical enablers within the Marine Corps, operating across multiple warfighting functions, creating tempo, speed, and time."
That vanguard spirit shaped his approach to leadership, amplifying the role of enlisted Marines in shaping how the Corps competes and prevails in the information domain. Beyond strategy and structure, Colling emphasized that it was the people who brought strength and purpose to the command.
"What is bigger than this moment is the fact that we have the best and brightest this nation has to offer in this room right now,” Colling said.
Sgt. Maj. Jason Leader, who most recently served as the command senior enlisted leader of 9th Marine Corps District, now assumes responsibilities as the senior enlisted advisor for MCCYWG and FHG. A Marine since 1998, Leader brings a broad background in logistics, combat engineering, and formal schools instruction. His assignments have taken him across the Indo-Pacific, Africa, and Europe, and include multiple operational and expeditionary deployments.
With extensive experience and a record of both leadership and mentorship, Leader steps into his new role ready to guide the formation through its next chapter.
The ceremony concluded with the traditional passing of the sword, signifying not just a change in leadership but the enduring strength of the Marine Corps’ enlisted ranks. The MCCYWG and FHG communities now look ahead with continuity under Leader’s guidance and the command’s evolving mission in the information domain.
| Date Taken: | 07.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2025 14:56 |
| Story ID: | 546567 |
| Location: | FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 65 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Marine Corps Cyberspace Warfare Group Relief and Appointment, by SSgt Jestin Costa, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
