Marines

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Lt. Gen. Steven A. Hummer, commander Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North, swears in Gregg T. Habel to the position of executive director of MARFORRES and MARFORNORTH Dec. 3, during a ceremony at Marine Corps Support Facility New Orleans. Habel’s new duties as the executive director will include providing strategic leadership and management to MARFORRES and MARFORNORTH and ensuring efficient management of resources in order to optimize operational capability. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Nana Dannsa-Appiah/Released)

Photo by Cpl. Nana Dannsa-Appiah

Habel becomes number 2 man of largest command in the Marine Corps

4 Dec 2012 | Cpl. Nana Dannsa-Appiah

Col. Gregg T. Habel assumed his new position as executive director of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North, Dec. 3, during a ceremony at Marine Corps Support Facility New Orleans.

Lt. Gen. Steven A. Hummer, commander of MARFORRES and MARFORNORTH presided over the event, attended by Habel’s family, friends and coworkers.

“He knows this organization inside and out so he is imminently qualified to be the executive director here,” Hummer said referring to Habel’s previous experience in the Reserves and with the support facility,

Before climbing to the number two man of MARFORRES and MARFORNORTH, Habel served more than 27 years on active duty in the Marine Corps as an infantry officer after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1985 with a degree in political science.  He spent several years working for the Reserves as the Inspector-Instructor in Garden City, N.Y., the 4th Marine Division chief of staff, and MARFORRES chief of staff.  During his Marine Corps career, he participated in various exercises, deployments to the Mediterranean, Western Pacific, Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Central Norway and Camp Fuji, Japan.

The Kinsman, Ohio, native graduated with honors from Amphibious Warfare School, and holds two Masters Degrees from the Naval Postgraduate School and the National War College.  His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit (2nd award), the Meritorious Service Medal (2nd award), the Navy Commendation Medal (2nd award), and the Combat Action Ribbon.

Habel’s new duties as the executive director will include providing strategic leadership and management to MARFORRES and MARFORNORTH and ensuring efficient management of resources in order to optimize operational capability.  He faces the challenge of overseeing a component of more than 100,000 Reserve Marines who balance their families and civilian jobs with their Marine Corps responsibilities.

“Our Reservists meet the challenge every day trying to balance three things:  families, the Marine Corps and their civilian employers, and they never ever fail the nation,” Habel said.  “I promise I will put a 100 percent effort into attempting to live up the trust that Gen. Hummer and the organization has placed in me.”

Habel’s appointment to the grade of Senior Executive Service 2, in the civil service, of the United States federal government is analogous to the ranks of general or admiral in the U.S. Armed Forces.  SES members are appointed for having shared values, a broad perspective of government, and solid executive skills to ensure that the executive management of the government of the United States is responsive to the needs, policies, and goals of the nation.

Members of the SES serve in key positions just below the top Presidential appointees.  They are a major link between presidential appointees and the rest of the federal civil service work force.