Marine Corps Installations East-Marine Corps Base (MCIEAST-MCB) Camp Lejeune hosted an assumption of command ceremony today at The Club at Paradise Point, where Brig. Gen. Andre M. Ingram assumed command of the installation and region from Col. Gregory B. Pace.  

Approximately 200 military and community leaders, Marines, Sailors, civilian employees, family members and friends attended the ceremony in the newly-renovated Lejeune Room. The event was the first major ceremony held in the historic room since it was severely damaged by Hurricane Florence in 2018. 

Maj. Gen. Brian N. Wolford, commanding general of Marine Corps Installations Command, presided over the ceremony and emphasized the essential role installations play in supporting Marines, Sailors and their families. 

“Nowhere else do you touch Marines in so many different ways as you do in installations,” Wolford said. “Whether it is power, ranges, barracks or access to the base, installations provide the underpinning for everything that happens here.” 

Wolford also recognized the close relationship between MCIEAST installations, tenant commands and neighboring communities. 

“The presence of military and community leaders here today is a testament to how interwoven Marine Corps Installations East is with the community and with the operating forces it supports,” Wolford said. 

Pace served as commander of MCIEAST-MCB Camp Lejeune for 76 days following the departure of Brig. Gen. Ralph J. Rizzo, Jr. on May 8. He now resumes his duties as deputy commander. 

During his remarks, Pace thanked the Marines, Sailors and civilians of MCIEAST for their dedication and praised the enduring partnership between the installation and surrounding communities. 

“There is no relationship like the one we enjoy with our surrounding municipalities,” Pace said. “It is not transactional; it is foundational. We support one another, address difficult issues together and rise to the occasion whenever the need arises.” 

Ingram returns to Camp Lejeune more than 25 years after beginning his Marine Corps career here with 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment. He brings over two decades of robust joint planning, logistics operations and command experience, including two years of service as Chief of Staff, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, Marine Forces Command, Marine Forces Northern Command.  

Ingram said the installations and stations across the region provide the foundation from which operating forces train, deploy and generate combat power. 

“Marine Corps Installations East, Camp Lejeune and the bases and stations across this region are platforms for the deployment of combat power,” Ingram said. “We will provide the ranges where Marines and Sailors sharpen their skills and the places where they live and work. That is what we do, and that is what we will continue to do well.” 

Ingram also emphasized his commitment to maintaining installations that are safe, secure and welcoming to Marines, Sailors, families and the surrounding community. 

“We are going to take charge of our bases, keep them clean and make them places people want to see and be part of,” Ingram said. “We must also ensure that the families who live here and the Marines and Sailors who train here know they are safe.” 

MCIEAST-MCB Camp Lejeune provides regional installation management and support to Marine Corps bases and stations across the eastern United States. The command enables the readiness and deployment of II Marine Expeditionary Force and other operating forces while supporting Marines, Sailors, civilian employees and their families. 

To view Ingram’s biography and official photo, please visit: https://www.lejeune.marines.mil/About/Leaders/.  

To view photos from today’s ceremony, please visit: