MCRD, WRR welcomes new commander

5 Sep 2003 | Cpl. Ryan Smith Marine Corps Recruiting Command

Maj. Gen. Jan Huly relinquished command of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and the Western Recruiting Region to Brig. Gen. John M. Paxton Jr. during a ceremony here Aug. 29.

Six Marine platoons represented the units Huly commanded:  Recruit Training Regiment, Western Recruiting Region, Headquarters and Service Battalion, and Weapons and Field Training Battalion.

Huly is transferring to Headquarters Marine Corps.

"As an old infantryman, I wish you a light pack upon your back, a dry path to walk upon; may your canteens be always at least half-full of cool water and may fair winds blow your way always," said Huly to Paxton and others in attendance at the ceremony.

Paxton accepted the microphone from Huly and addressed the Marines and sailors assembled before him.

"I'm truly excited to be back in the ranks with great Marines, sailors and civilian Marines here at the Depot," said Paxton.

He addressed the audience and then turned to his Marines in formation.

"In the words of Lt. Gen. Lewis B. Puller, 'I pledge to you 110 percent of my courage, compassion, my commitment and my conviction.' Continue to march on."

Graduating from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., with a bachelor of science and a master of civil engineering degree, Paxton was commissioned in 1974 through the Officer Candidate program.

Upon completion of The Basic School, he was ordered to Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga., and then assigned as a rifle platoon commander in Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, Marine Corps Base, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Paxton has served twice with the 1st Marine Division, once with the 2nd Marine Division, and twice with the 3rd Marine Division, commanding at the platoon, company, battalion and regimental levels. He commanded 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment from April 1992 to June 1994. They deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) and USS America Battle Group as Landing Force 6th Fleet and Joint Adaptive Task Force 93-2 in support of operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and later as United Nations Quick Reaction Force in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Paxton has also served in operations, plans and training at the regiment, division and Marine Expeditionary Force levels.

His non-Fleet Marine Force tours included a tour as commanding officer, Company B, Marine Barracks 8th and I, Washington, D.C.; commanding officer, Recruiting Station New York; Strategic Plans Branch, Plans, Policies and Operations Department, Headquarters Marine Corps; and as executive assistant and Marine Corps aide to the Under Secretary of the Navy.

Paxton is a joint service officer, having served at United Nations Command and Combined Forces Command in Korea from 1989 to 1991 as amphibious operations officer and executive officer, Crisis Action Team.

Paxton completed an assignment as the director, Programs Division, Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for Programs and Resources, Headquarters Marine Corps.

He assumed that billet in July 2001 upon completing a one-year tour as the Marine Corps Fellow (National Security) at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Prior to that, he served for three years with the 1st Marine Division.

From June 1997 to June 1998, he was the assistant chief of staff G3 for operations, plans and training.

He then commanded 1st Marine Division from June 1998 until June 2000.In addition to The Basic School, his professional education includes United States Army Infantry Officer Advanced Course and the United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College.

In 1994, Paxton was a Federal Executive Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution.

Paxton's personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy Commendation Medals, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the United Nations Medal.
Marine Corps Recruiting Command