North (San Diego) County Times: Pendleton to be headquarters of West Coast

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Friday, October 7, 2005

Pendleton to be headquarters of West Coast bases

By: DARRIN MORTENSON - Staff Writer
North County Times

CAMP PENDLETON ---- Already the hub for the Marines' West Coast expeditionary forces, Camp Pendleton on Saturday will become the center for planning and operations for all Marine Corps' bases in the region.

Military officials announced Thursday that Camp Pendleton would become the command center for six installations in California and one in Arizona, promoting Pendleton's base commander to head the consolidated command called Marine Corps Installations West.

Col. John Coleman, the base chief of staff, will become the new Pendleton base commander during a change of command ceremony planned for Oct. 21. He will replace Pendleton's recently installed base commander, Brig. Gen. Michael Lehnert, who has been selected to receive a second star to become a major general as he steps up to head the new regional base command.

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The consolidation of facilities on the West Coast is part of a military-wide transformation driven by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. It was visible during the recent round of base closures in the Pentagon's drastic effort to streamline operations, centralize operations in regional hubs and prepare bases for joint use by different armed services.

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http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/10/08/news/top_stories/20_40_3110_6_05.txt


Contact staff writer Darrin Mortenson at [phone] or [e-mail].