A recent move by a Republican senator to hold up the confirmation of the Marines’ top leader not only impacts that office but a whole host of other officers and their families who, during the summer months, report to new commands at bases across the nation and overseas.
At Camp Pendleton, for example, the top general to lead the Corps’ largest and most significant warfighting command, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, is unable to take over his command of at least 48,000 Marines and their units.
At present, the command — critical to the nation’s defense and presently focused on strategy and deterrence of aggression in the Indo-Pacific — is led by Lt. Gen. George Smith, who is set to retire in August. Lt. Gen. Michael Cederholm will replace him, but he cannot move himself or his family to Southern California because he also has not been confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
In addition to Cederholm, the holdup in the U.S. Senate means other general officers and their families are unable to move to their new posts, meaning they’re facing delays in getting children enrolled in schools, dealing with base housing wait times and spouses are hindered from seeking employment.
If Cederholm, who presently serves at the Pentagon, is not confirmed in time, Brig. Gen. Robert Fulford, the acting deputy commanding general of the IMEF, would then take over the role. That leaves the command and its many units in the hands of a one-star general rather than a three-star general.
“These holds limit the Marine Corps’ ability to make sure the right person is at the right place at the right time in order to ensure operational readiness and strategic success,” said Maj. Josh Larson, a spokesperson for the assistant commandant.
Locally, that means at least 30 officers and their families are impacted “at a time when the Marine Corps is modernizing to defend the nation against the pacing challenge of the People’s Republic of China and the acute threat of Russia,”…
Read the full article here
