Latest news with #Bortnem
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Marine Corps relieves Air Station Beaufort commander of duties
The United States Marine Corps removed a commander from his position after deciding he was unfit to lead, according to the Marine Corps. Col. Mark D. Bortnem was relieved of his duties as commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort on April 14, and reassigned to duties at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. 'This decision was made due to a loss of trust and confidence in Bortnem's ability to command,' said Nat Fahy, a Marine Corps Installations East spokesperson. Brig. Gen. Ralph J. Rizzo, Jr., commanding general of Marine Corps Installations East-Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, handed down the decision. Lt. Col. Michael R. Eubanks - Air Station Beaufort's headquarters and headquarters squadron executive officer - will assume Bortnem's previous position in the interim until another individual is appointed. The Marine Corps did not provide any further details as to the circumstances of the firing, which was first reported by The Island News. Bortnem, who has served in the Marine Corps for over 30 years, took over as commander of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in July 2023. He's logged nearly 3,000 flight hours throughout the duration of his career, including more than 500 hours of combat time. After enlisting in 1991, he served as a supply administration and operations specialist in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, before going on to join the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program. He attended Ohio State University from 1994 to 1998 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant there, beginning his time as an officer. In the early aughts, he became a naval flight officer after attending flight school, joined the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 332, and deployed to Iraq for several Operation Iraqi Freedom combat missions. He continued to ascend the ranks until he was assigned in 2016 to be the Marine Forces Pacific air officer and director of aviation operations at Camp Smith, Hawaii. In 2022, he was eventually appointed as director of the commandant of the Marine Corps Safety Division, his last position before taking over as commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Marine Corps Fires Commander of East Coast Air Station
The Marine Corps fired the commanding officer of one of the service's most storied air stations on Tuesday, a regional spokesperson confirmed to Col. Mark D. Bortnem, a former F/A-18 pilot with more than 30 years in the service, was relieved of his duties as commander of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, Nat Fahy, director of communications for Marine Corps Installations East, said in an emailed statement. Fahy said the reason was "due to a loss of trust and confidence" in Bortnem's ability to command. The military often uses that phrase as an opaque justification for firings that avoids specifics. Read Next: Shaving Waivers Revoked by Massachusetts Guard in Change Disproportionately Impacting Black Troops Brig. Gen. Ralph J. Rizzo Jr., the commanding general of MCI East-Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, fired Bortnem "effective immediately." The decision came nearly two years into Bortnem's tenure as MCAS Beaufort's commander, meaning he was likely nearing the end of his command time. asked why Bortnem was fired and whether his relief came in response to a criminal probe, part of a personal misconduct issue, or based on performance, but Fahy did not offer additional details. Lt. Col. Michael R. Eubanks, the air station's headquarters and headquarters squadron executive officer, is the acting commander of MCAS Beaufort until a permanent leader is officially appointed, Fahy said. The Island News, a South Carolina paper, first reported Bortnem's relief on Tuesday. Bortnem first enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1991 and served as a supply administration and operations specialist before commissioning as a second lieutenant in 1998, according to his biography, which was still posted on a Marine Corps website as of Tuesday afternoon. Bortnem deployed several times, including to Iraq, where he flew combat missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. His biography said that he had nearly 3,000 flight hours under his belt, including more than 500 hours of combat flights. He took command of MCAS Beaufort in July 2023. attempted to reach Bortnem through a publicly listed phone number and social media, but was unsuccessful. His relief came just two days after the installation's annual air show, one of Beaufort's largest events of the year, in which Navy Blue Angels and prop planes performed maneuvers, and the Marine Corps' V-22 Osprey was on display. There were no known reported incidents at the air show. Bortnem was pictured greeting a Blue Angels pilot on April 9, prior to the air show, alongside his senior enlisted adviser, Sgt. Maj. Bryan Alfaro. Related: Commander, Command Master Chief Fired from Navy Expeditionary Security Squadron
