U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Anthony Mercado, the outgoing 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company commanding officer, relinquished command to Lt. Col. McDaniel Sharber, the 1st ANGLICO commanding officer, during a ceremony held at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, June 30, 2021.
Throughout Mercado’s time as 1st ANGLICO’s commanding officer he provided his Marines with improved and upgraded gear, conducting multiple training opportunities to include working with U.S. Navy ships conducting call for fire reports, as well as reinstating the ANGLICO Basic Course which hasn’t been conducted since 2015.
“No one has challenged me, I MEF, or the Marine Corps institution as a whole more than Anthony Mercado,” said Col. Brian T. Rideout, commander of I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group. “That's what makes Anthony so great. Everything his Marines have is because he has gone forth and put in the hard work to ensure they get what they need.”
Mercado had a few words of appreciation regarding his Marines and Sailors that he has mentored and worked with both in an office and field environment.
“To the Marines and Sailors of 1st ANGLICO your dedication to the mission, your motivation, and your selflessness is what made me get out of bed every day and want to do better, want to do more, I thank you for that,” said Mercado.
The passing of colors from an outgoing commander to an incoming commander ensures that the unit and its Marines are never without official leadership, represents a continuation of trust, and signifies an allegiance of Marines to their unit's commander.
“The organizational colors are kept by the incoming commander who has been selected above his or her peers to ensure the Marines and Sailors are taken care of,” said Rideout. “The organization is made a little better with each commander so that our Corps continues to grow stronger.”
The incoming commanding officer, a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, commissioned in 2003 through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“To the lethal, dedicated, jack of all trades, masters of some, the men and women behind me, I want to say that I couldn't be more excited to stand in front of you today as your incoming commander,” said Sharber. “I want to thank you for supporting that gentleman in the front row for supporting him and all his ideas and making 1st ANGLICO what it is today. I can't wait to step in with you and take it to the next level.”
As I MEF's premier liaison unit, 1st ANGLICO specializes in combined arms, fire support and communications capabilities in order to partner and enable any assigned unit across the range of military operations. 1st ANGLICO is manned, trained and equipped to deliver devastating lethal and non-lethal effects across the battlefield.
Date Taken: | 06.30.2021 |
Date Posted: | 07.06.2021 20:20 |
Story ID: | 400416 |
Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
Hometown: | FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
Web Views: | 276 |
Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Passing of Colors, by LCpl Isaac Velasco, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.