MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Lt. Col. Nicholas E. Davis relinquished command of Wounded Warrior Battalion – East to Lt. Col. Leland Suttee aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, June 11.
Suttee left his position as commanding officer of 2nd Anglico to assume his new role at Wounded Warrior Battalion.
“It’s a culminating event to command a unit in combat,” said Suttee. “If there is something equivalent to that for me, it is to take care of those Marines who are wounded, ill or injured and help them work toward transition.”
Suttee joined the Marine Corps in 1987 and served as a radio operator for 9th Communications Battalion before he was accepted into the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program.
He received his commission in 1993 and reported to his first post at Battery I, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment as a forward observer, fire direction officer and executive officer.
In 1998, Suttee attended the Amphibious Warfare School and was assigned to 5th Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment serving as commanding officer of Headquarters Battery. After he completed a deployment with Battery S, Suttee was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps as the Artillery Company Grade Assignments Monitor.
In 2005, Suttee attended the Australian Command and Staff College and was later assigned to 5th Battalion 10th Marine Regiment as Operations Officer and Executive Officer. In 2007, he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a civil affairs detachment commander with the U.S. Army Brigade.
Suttee reported to Joint Forces Command in 2008 and served as Fires and Targeting Observer on the deployable training team in Afghanistan.
In 2010, he assumed command of 2nd Anglico and deployed to Helmand province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with II Marine Expeditionary Force Forward.
Suttee joins Wounded Warrior Battalion after a top level school fellowship at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Davis received his commission as a second lieutenant in 1993 and in 1994 served as a rifle platoon commander, rifle company executive officer and rifle company commander with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.
From 1996 to 1999, Davis served as company executive officer, company commander and battalion operations officer at School of Infantry – East.
In 2000, Davis was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment as company commander and commanding officer of Headquarters and Service Company.
Upon completion of Marine Corps Command and Staff College in 2006, Davis received orders to 6th Marine Regiment as the assistant operations officer and in 2008, became the operations officers.
He completed two combat tours in Iraq with 6th Marine Regiment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“The greatest part for me has been serving the wounded, ill or injured,” said Davis. “But the challenges on the front end are far outweighed by the satisfaction you get at the end of the journey.”