MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Nov 20, 2009) -- Maj. Gen. Mastin M. Robeson relinquished command of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command to Maj. Gen. Paul E. Lefebvre, during a change of command ceremony in front of the MARSOC Headquarters building on Stone Bay here, Nov. 20.
Robeson retired from the Marine Corps following the ceremony after 34 years of service. Robeson received his commission in December 1975.
During the ceremony Olson gave thanks to Robeson for his service and welcomed the oncoming MARSOC commander, Lefebvre.
“This is an important occasion for many reasons, today we recognize a great general of Marines, not only for his leadership over the past year and a half, but also for a lifetime of service to the Corps and to his country,” Olson said. “We will usher in a new commander of whom I have the greatest confidence.”
Robeson became the second commander of MARSOC July 25, 2008. Under his command MARSOC has grown to about 2,200 Marines, sailors and civilians and is now at more than 80 percent of its total authorized strength.
He deployed more than 900 Marines in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan, maintaining a constant MARSOC presence there. Those Marines include the first ever Marine-led Special Operations Task Force, who recently deployed.
Another 450 Marines have deployed to other parts of the globe conducting security cooperation activities and other joint training activities.
Other milestones included standing up the Marine Special Operations Regiment, which acts as a headquarters element for 1st, 2d, and 3d Marine Special Operations Battalions, and the graduation of fifty Marines from the first ever MARSOC Individual Training Course earning the title Marine special operator.
As a general officer he served as the assistant division commander and commanding general of 2nd Marine Division. He has been the commanding general of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, 3rd and 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigades and 3rd Marine Division. He also served as the deputy commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force, and the director, strategy, plans and assessment CJ5, Multinational Force-Iraq.
His time in service includes deployments to Liberia, Somalia, Horn of Africa, Southern Philippines, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He also served and deployed in support of Desert Storm.
Lefebvre is taking command of MARSOC after serving as the deputy commanding general of II MEF.
Lefebvre has also served as the commanding officer of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, deputy director for operations U.S. Pacific Command, deputy commanding general Multinational Corps-Iraq, director of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Staff Training Program, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, and commanding general of Marine Corps Recruit Depot/Eastern Recruiting Region, Parris Island, South Carolina.
A ribbon cutting also took place during the ceremony to commemorate the new MARSOC Headquarters building, which cost more than $51 million to create.