Lt. Gen. David G. Bellon assumed command of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North, today at 9:30 a.m. during a change of command ceremony at Marine Corps Support Facility New Orleans.

Brig. Gen. Michael S. Martin relinquished command to Bellon during the ceremony after serving as the commander of MARFORRES and MARFORNORTH since May 2019.
Bellon previously served as the director of J-5 Strategy, Policy and Plans at U.S. Southern Command. Martin will continue serving as the commanding general of 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve.

During the change of command ceremony, Bellon informed the audience that “the Marines in formation represent 38,000 Reservists” spread across the globe composing what Gen. David H. Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps, described as “the nation’s force in readiness.” To fulfill this role as a force in readiness, Martin stated it is imperative MARFORRES and MARFORNORTH Marines remain “ready, relevant and responsive, as they have for years… serving as an operational Reserve” prepared to support its active duty counterpart.

A means of providing support that is unique to MARFORNORTH Marines is their ability to “focus on defending the Homeland from home,” said Air Force Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy,commander, United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command.

The mission of MARFORRES is to augment, reinforce and support active duty Marine forces in times of war, national emergency or contingency operations, provide personnel and operational tempo relief for the active forces in peacetime, and provide service to the community. Reserve units are geographically dispersed across the continental United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico at 160 sites.

Marine Forces North executes antiterrorism program and force protection responsibilities, plans for the use of Marine Corps forces and advises on the proper employment of those forces, coordinates with and supports Marine Corps forces when attached to U.S. Northern Command within USNORTHCOM’s area of responsibility in order to conduct homeland defense operations and provides defense support to civil authorities.

Imagery and B-roll of the ceremony are available for download at www.dvidshub.net/unit/USMCRC

-USMC