NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BAHRAIN (June 5, 2019) – U.S. Marine Maj. Alexander Luedtke relinquished command of Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team Company, Central Command to Maj. Woodward Ashmore, June 5, 2019 at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.
Prior to assuming command of FASTCENT Company, Luedtke served as the company commander of Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division.
“To the Marines and Sailors of FASTCENT, it has been a great honor to serve you, and I’m extremely humbled by your unwavering discipline, peerless professionalism, and superior commitment,” said Luedtke. “You motivate the deepest sense of patriotism in me, and I will be forever proud of my association with you.”
Ashmore most recently commanded Headquarters and Service Company with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division from January 2017 to January 2019, during which time he deployed as part of the Unit Deployment Program to Okinawa, Japan.
“It is all about the relationships that we develop,” said Ashmore. “I look forward to taking what Maj. Luedtke has done and going forward with it. I look forward to being your company commander.”
FASTCENT provides expeditionary anti-terrorism and security forces to embassies, consulates, and other vital national assets throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
“If you think about what it takes to lead and manage platoon turnovers or deployments for training, we as a team appreciate the level of leadership, coordination, and communication it takes to make that happen,” said Col. Brian Neil, commanding officer of Marine Corps Security Force Regiment based out of Yorktown, Virginia. “We have probably over the past 27 months coordinated and executed no fewer than 80 platoon training events here in Bahrain and throughout the theater. But what is really important about what Maj. Luedtke has done is he has developed and sustained relationships. We can guarantee that these relationships are going to continue—the operations and training are going to continue.”
Luedtke’s next assignment is at the Marine Corps University’s Command and Staff College at Quantico, Virginia, as a resident student.