MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Brigadier Gen. James R. Battaglini, commanding general, 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade and deputy commanding general, I Marine Expeditionary Force, relinquished command July 5 to BGen. James N. Mattis, former senior military assistant to the deputy secretary of defense.

Brigadier Gen. Battaglini departed I MEF to take command of the 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa.

Brigadier Gen. Battaglini led I MEF?s reactivation of the 1st MEB command element in November 1999 and succeeded in making 1st MEB one of the Marine Corps? premier mid-sized Marine Air Ground Task Forces.

MEBs respond to a full range of crises, from forcible entry to humanitarian assistance, including small-scale contingencies so prevalent in today's security environment.

This brigade-size force, which generally has about 15,000 Marines and Sailors, is significantly more powerful than a Marine Expeditionary Unit -- but not as large or potent as a MEF, the Corps? principal warfighting organization.

Under BGen. Battaglini's command, the Marines and Sailors of 1st MEB honed their skills through realistic and demanding operations and exercises such as Natural Fire/Native Fury in Kenya, Desert Knight in Twentynine Palms and Kernel Blitz 01 here -- where 11,000 service members and 25 U.S. Navy ships conducted West Coast?s largest amphibious exercise.

Brigadier Gen. Mattis is no stranger to I MEF. During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, he commanded 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, one of Task Force Ripper's assault battalions. Brigadier Gen. Mattis also commanded 7th Marines (Reinforced) from June 1994 to June 1996.