Camp Pendleton Marine Combat Unit Gets First Woman Commander

CAMP PENDLETON, CA - This week military officials announced that Lt. Col. Michelle Macander took over command of the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion at Camp Pendleton. For the first time, a female Marine has been named commander of a ground combat arms unit. This historic appointment took place June 22nd during a ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Lt. Col. Macander took over as commanding officer of 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division replacing outgoing Lt. Col. Christopher M. Haar.

Macander is now the first female Marine to command a ground combat arms unit. “It is a privilege to carry on the legacy of this storied battalion, and continue to provide support to the largest and most decorated division in the Marine Corps,” Macander said in a statement. “I’m honored to be a part of the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion team.”

The Marine Corps has been making progress integrating woman and this latest appointment of Lt. Col. Macander is the most recent in a series of history-making firsts for women in the military.

For more information about the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, visit: https://www.pendleton.marines....

Photo By: Lance Cpl. Audrey Rampton