U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Allen Smith, outgoing sergeant major of 9th Communication Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, participates in a relief and appointment ceremony on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, March 8, 2024. Smith relinquished his post to Sgt. Maj. Douglas Gardner and retired after 23 years of service. Smith is a South Carolina native. (U.S. Marine Corps motion imagery by Sgt. Marcus E. Melara)