MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, commanding general of I Marine Expeditionary Force, assumed duties as commander of the Tampa, Fla.-based Marine Corps Forces Central Command Aug. 3.
Sattler, who led more than 25,000 I MEF Marines and sailors in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom last year, now leads the component command responsible for the planning, deployment, employment and redeployment of Marine forces, according to Col. Michael N. Daily, a MARCENT spokesman.
The decision, made by commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Michael W. Hagee, in March 2004, was based on the reasoning that the MARCENT command should be run as the same commander as the MEF.
"MARCENT's main role is to set the conditions for success for the warfighter. This includes advising Gen. Abizaid and other CENTCOM commanders on the proper employment of Marine forces in the CENTCOM area of responsibility. Once Marine forces are employed in the CENTCOM AOR, MARCENT is responsible for sustaining them," Daily said.
The mission of the Camp Pendleton-based expeditionary force remains unaffected by the transition of command.
"I MEF remains the warfighter, and its staff focused on warfighting tasks. The I MEF staff will not assume any MARCENT duties in this transition," Daily said.
When the commandant made the decision to transfer command of MARCENT to the CG I MEF, he also made the decision to create a stand-alone MARCENT staff in Tampa.
This resulted in the MARCENT Tampa staff tripling in size to 106 active duty Marines and sailors. "Prior to this increase, the MARCENT staff had to reach back and rely on selected staff members at MARFORPAC, who were "dual-hatted" as MARCENT staff, to include the deputy commander of MARFORPAC, who divided his duties between MARFORPAC and MARCENT.
"This creation of a stand-alone staff that does not have to reach back to a staff in Camp Smith (Hawaii) or a staff in Camp Pendleton, and a full-time deputy commander located at Tampa has streamlined efficiency and enhanced unity of effort," Daily said. "Transferring command to the CG I MEF also enhances efficiency because it moves the commander three time zones closer to his staff and the commander of USCENTCOM."As of now, the decision to assign the MARCENT leadership duties to the I MEF CG is permanent.
"The commandant can always revisit (the decision) if we find "dual hatting" the MEF commander is not the most effective," Daily said.
The previous commander of MARFORPAC and MARCENT was Lt. Gen. Wallace C. Gregson, who is retiring.
He will be replaced by Maj. Gen. John F. Goodman, the deputy commanding general of MARFORPAC, who is nominated for a third star along with assignment to the new post.
The central region is an area larger than the Continental U.S., stretching more than 3,100 miles east to west, and 3,400 miles north to south.
The region contains the major maritime trade routes linking the Middle East, Europe, Asia and the Western Hemisphere.