In a change of command ceremony, Lt. Gen. George W. Smith Jr. relinquished command of the Marine Corps’ largest warfighting unit at Camp Pendleton, but a delay in the confirmation process means his permanent replacement remains in limbo.
In the interim, Maj. Gen. Bradford J. Gering, who most recently led the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Miramar, has been tapped to lead the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. He took over on Friday, Aug. 18, during a change of command ceremony held at the base.
Smith is retiring after 40 years of service.
Gering, who was slated to head to the Pentagon to take over as the deputy commandant of aviation at the Marine Corps headquarters, instead will oversee the Camp Pendleton 1MEF while the Marines wait for the confirmation of Lt. Gen. Michael Cederholm, who was nominated earlier this year to command the force of 48,000 Marines.
Cederholm couldn’t make the move from the East Coast because of a Senate hold-up over military confirmations that is stalling promotions and postings for at least 300 senior-level military jobs across the Department of Defense. He is presently the deputy commandant of aviation.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, has been refusing to vote on confirmations since February.
Tuberville has said he disagrees with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to have the Defense Department pay for travel when a service member has to go out of state for abortion services or other reproductive health care. Tuberville said the DOD’s decision to continue these services is a violation of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funds from being used for abortions.
The hold on confirmations is impacting military officers and their families across the Department of Defense who, during the summer months, report to new commands at bases across the nation and overseas. It has also created this sort of musical chairs shuffle at Camp Pendleton, one of the Marines’ most active bases.
Gering’s posting to Camp…
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