Photo By Staff Sgt. Ryan Harvey | U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Kao Saeteurn, commanding officer of Recruiting Station...... read more read more
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U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Kao M. Saeteurn relinquished command of Recruiting Station Sacramento to Maj. Johnathan C. Weber during a ceremony at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, California, May 28, 2026.
As part of a long-lasting tradition in the Marine Corps, a change of command ceremony represents the transfer of responsibility, authority, and accountability from one leader to another.
“Today is more than a ceremonial passing of colors,” said Saeteurn. “For me, it’s a full-circle moment.”
Saeteurn’s family belongs to an ethnic group called Mien, a hill tribe from Southeast Asia without a specific country origin. His mother spent her early years in a refugee camp during the Vietnam War era. When her family’s number was finally called to seek refuge in the United States, she was just 16 years old and pregnant with him.
Saeteurn grew up in a household of eight in the Sacramento area, Oak Park, specifically. At the time, rough edges and limited options characterized his neighborhood, where under-the-table jobs and gang activity were prevalent. “Growing up, that’s all I had to look at,” said Saeteurn. “I decided that the Marine Corps was the best way out of that environment.”
A self-professed troublemaker, Saeteurn said he bounced around several high schools and sometimes had thoughts that he may not even graduate. Fortunately, his eleventh-grade U.S. history teacher, Mr. Torres, and his wife, Mrs. Bascom, his ninth-grade English teacher, saw past the tough exterior of a kid who frequently slept in class. One day, Torres handed back an assignment, noted his good grades, and held him back after the bell rang for a frank discussion on Saeteurn not living up to his potential.
With a desire for a self-sufficient and independent life, and with the help of some positive outside influences, Saeteurn enlisted into the Marine Corps the summer between his junior and senior year of high school at 17 years old.
Saeteurn shipped to recruit training with an administration occupational specialty.
“Within my first year in the Marine Corps I gained so much confidence and fulfillment because I was on my own and being successful that I said, ‘I’m going to make a career out of this’,” said Saeteurn.
Seeking a path beyond standard enlisted special duty assignments, Saeteurn set his eyes on becoming an officer and applied for the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program.
MECEP, a highly competitive enlisted to officer pathway, proves that Marines can pursue higher education without leaving military service. The program allows enlisted Marines to attend a four-year college full-time to earn a bachelor’s degree. During their studies, Marines retain their active-duty status, pay, and benefits. Upon graduation, they commission as second lieutenants.
“I wanted to show my family that joining the Marine Corps was a good option,” said Saeteurn. “If I got a degree while on active duty, I could prove to everybody around me that the Marine Corps has way more opportunities than people might think.”
He attended the University of California, Davis under the Berkeley Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program and earned his commission as a financial management officer.
Years later, while stationed in Okinawa, Japan, he saw the commanding officer billet for Recruiting Station Sacramento become available. Despite the slim odds for selection, he put his name in. Saeteurn was originally selected to command Recruiting Station Salt Lake City, but through a stroke of luck, and a colleague’s retirement, he was fortunate enough to return to his hometown once again and take command of the very station that recruited him.
Saeteurn was the commanding officer of Recruiting Station Sacramento from June 2023 to May 2026. Early in his tenure, Saeteurn’s leadership turned a struggling station into a successful one, meeting the recruiting mission for 33 consecutive months. He notes the positive culture shift as one of his fondest memories.
The opportunity to serve as the station’s commanding officer reminded Saeteurn of just how much influence educators, counselors, and coaches can have on a student’s life.
“It can change a life if an educator or coach advocates for military service or at least knows what it can provide someone. Not only are there hundreds of job fields, but also educational opportunities, and not just military education but civilian education,” said Saeteurn.
Today, Saeteurn is preparing for his next chapter: attending the prestigious Stanford Graduate School of Business through the Marine Corps’ Advanced Civilian Schools Program.
“The Marine Corps did so much for me and my family,” said Saeteurn. “I will spend the rest of my life giving back to it and representing it to the best of my ability.”
| Date Taken: | 05.28.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.28.2026 17:22 |
| Story ID: | 566363 |
| Location: | SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 63 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Echoes of the Past: RS Sacramento Change of Command, by CPT Tess LaBossiere, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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