U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Bradford J. Gering relinquished command of I Marine Expeditionary Force to Lt. Gen. Michael S. Cederholm, former Deputy Commandant for Aviation at Headquarters Marine Corps, on Camp Pendleton, California, today.

The change of command ceremony was presided over by Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. Lt. Gen. Gering was promoted to his current rank by the honorable Mr. Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy, and he assumed the duties of Deputy Commandant for Aviation.

Lt. Gen. Gering’s tenure was marked by advancements in force innovation, increased cooperation with Third Fleet, and an enduring presence in the Indo-Pacific, guaranteeing the force’s readiness and superiority in confronting forthcoming challenges. “I am filled with pride knowing that I MEF is a firm pillar of our Marine Corps and indeed, our national defense,” said Del Toro. “I MEF plays an integral role in regional stability. I MEF is deployable anywhere, anytime and in any circumstances – and you do just that.”

Gen. Mahoney recognized Lt. Gen. Cederholm’s steadfast leadership and the promising future of I MEF under his command, saying, “your strategic vision, your operational acumen and your truck stop wisdom has become legendary. I know you will continue to push forward.”

Lt. Gen. Cederholm’s remarks focused on maintaining I MEF’s forward posture and ensuring the warfighting readiness of its Marines.

“I MEF is America’s hammer. We come to fight and we come to win,” said Lt. Gen. Cederholm. “I’m excited to get after it and get into the attack.”

I MEF provides the Marine Corps a globally responsive, expeditionary, and fully scalable Marine air-ground task force, capable of generating, deploying, and employing ready forces and formations for crisis response, forward presence, major combat operations, and campaigns.

“Whether we were training forces, certifying them and deploying them in support of our global responsibilities; whether we were modernizing the force and implementing force design initiatives; whether we were aggressively campaigning west of the [international date line] with allies and partners; everybody in this command – all leaders at every level – executed absolutely brilliantly,” said Lt. Gen. Gering.

Under Maj. Gen. Gering's leadership as I MEF Commanding General from Aug. 18, 2023 to Feb. 16, 2024, I MEF saw the successful conclusion of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin during which the Marines participated in 11 bilateral and multinational exercises alongside the Australian Defence Force, increasing readiness and ally cooperation. The second iteration of Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia demonstrated the agility of a forward-deployed scalable force as they surged forces to participate in security cooperation exchanges throughout Southeast Asia. The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit trained with the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, preparing for future maritime security operations. The Marines and Sailors of I MEF have maintained a strong presence in the Indo-Pacific and are reinforcing our commitment to our partnerships throughout the region.

Photos of the ceremony will be available on our DVIDS page at https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/I-MEF

-30-