Northern Strike

Lt. Gen. David G. Bellon, the incoming commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South, passes the unit's colors to Sgt. Maj. Edwin A. Mota, the sergeant major of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South during the MARFORSOUTH change of command ceremony in Miami, Florida, May 21, 2021. Col. McWilliams relinquished command to Lt. Gen. Bellon after serving as commander of MARFORSOUTH since April 2021. MARFORSOUTH is the Marine Corps component to U.S. Southern Command, which is one of the 11 combatant commands in the Department of Defense. The staff of nearly 100 Marines, Sailors and civilian employees are responsible for planning exercises, operations and overall support for the SOUTHCOM assigned area of responsibility, which covers Latin America and the Caribbean. Lt. Gen. Bellon is a native of Fort Polk, Louisiana. Sgt. Maj. Mota is a native of New York, New York. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Daniel A. Barrios)