 Good morning ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the commanding general, welcome to the change of command ceremony in which Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Herman will relinquish command to Lieutenant Colonel Thomas E. Bowling Jr. Today's parade is being executed by the officers and Marines of Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3. Please rise for the indication by Command Chaplain, Captain Greg T. Schluter, Chaplain Corps, United States Navy. Let us pray. Almighty God, whose glory is in all the world. We recognize that all authority comes from you and that without you there is no authority. We ask your blessings today on Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3 as we celebrate the change of command. Heavenly Father, we commend the squadron to your merciful care. Thanking you for the work you have done through your servant, Lieutenant Colonel Eric Herman during his tenure of command. We thank you for his faithfulness and ask your continued blessings upon him as he moves on to new challenges. We also ask your blessings upon your servant, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Bowling Jr. as he assumes the mantle of leadership today. Give him your wisdom, guidance, and strength as he leads his squadron to do your will. Be with him in difficult times and help him to command this squadron as you see fit. As Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3 continues to fulfill its mission, we pray your continued grace and protection from every evil. All this we ask in your holy name. Amen. Thank you. Please be seated. Present day parades in the Marine Corps have their basis in both history and tradition. The mass formation of troops on one long line at close interval made possible the massing of firepower from the muzzle-loaded muskets of the past. The agitant forms the line of battle, and in those early days that line consisted of two or three ranks, much like in the parade you will see today. The agitant for today's parade is Second Lieutenant Danielle C. Eitel. Sound agitant's call will begin today's ceremony. The agitant has formed the line of troops for today's parade. The agitant returns to her position, facing the line of troops. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the presentation of colors. Thank you. Please be seated. The agitant will now command. Sound off. This will signal a band to parade forward of the assembled line of troops while playing military marching music. The parade agitant now presents the assembled command to the commander of troops. Now taking his position is the reviewing officer for today's parade, the commanding general, Third Marine Aircraft Wing. Major General Christopher J. Mahoney. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for honors to Major General Mahoney. Please be seated. Now taking his position in the reviewing area is the commanding officer, Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron III, Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Perman. Now taking his position in the reviewing area is Lieutenant Colonel Thomas E. Bolen Jr. Ladies and gentlemen, we now come to the ceremony's most solemn moment, the actual passing of the command. The battle colors of a Marine Corps unit symbolize the authority and accountability of command. Transferring the colors during the ceremony symbolizes the relinquishing of command by Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Herman. And by accepting the colors, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas E. Bolen Jr. accepts command and confirms his total commitment to the Marines and sailors that he will command. Sergeant Major Alena M. Rodriguez is delivering the colors to the commanding officer from commandant to the Marine Corps to Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Perman. Subject for Elinquishment of Command, effective 1004 June 2021. You stand detached as a commanding officer of Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron III, signed David H. Berger, General, United States Marine Corps. From commandant to the Marine Corps to Lieutenant Colonel Thomas E. Bolen Jr. Subject, Assumption of Command, effective 1004 June 2021. You will assume duties as a commanding officer of Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron III, signed David H. Berger, General, United States Marine Corps. Ladies and gentlemen, the commanding general of Third Marine Aircraft Wing, Major General Mahoney. A special welcome to the families, to the Bolen family, to the Herman family. And great to see you here. And we even let, we even let another wing Bolen into the, into the mix today, coming down, Thomas Brother. So we begin the summer ritual of transitions, PCSs, and today changes in command. Now, you might hear the words bittersweet, you might hear people getting nostalgic, and that's all good. But to me, it was required and necessary to keep the blood pumping and to keep the organism healthy. So the change that you see today is part of the life cycle of the Marine Corps, and it's actually a good thing. That said, I want to welcome an accomplished and seasoned officer and aviator recognized a transfer of authority to him from another accomplished, seasoned officer and aviator. And that's what we're here to do today. But first, I'd like to put command in a little bit of perspective. When I was down in hangar one as CEO of VMFA 242, my mission was fairly precise, fighter attack effects in support of the mad cat. Very easy to focus. 250 Marines, zero major generals, zero colonels, zero left-handed colonels, seven majors, one E9, and about a dozen MLSs. Pretty easy to get that thing going in one direction and focus. Bit of perspective. MWHS-3, 588 Marines and sailors, a major general, 10 colonels, 20 lieutenant colonels, 32 majors, wait for it, 24 E9s, 24 E9s a band, and 153 MLSs, 153 different specialties. And you tell me how you get your mind around that, how you get your arms around 153 specialties, 588 guys, not to mention 24 E9s. Extremely challenging, extremely difficult. But I will tell you, we're here to reflect upon the fact that it was done to the first order by Lieutenant Colonel Harman and throw the challenge out in front of Lowe as we go forward. But it doesn't just happen. Everybody knows that. It doesn't happen because you got selected. It won't happen because you got selected. It won't happen because you're a nice guy, you have a nice family. So three things stand out to me about Lieutenant Colonel Harman. The first is engaged leadership. And that's not just a marquee. Now appearing engaged leadership, success will follow. It is in the name to me two things. You recognize the weaknesses you train to. You show them up and make them stronger. But you flip the coin over and just as important as not more important, you recognize your strengths and you exploit them to success. We saw that in space, that was Lieutenant Colonel Harman. The second thing is relationships and managing them. 24 E9s, 10 Colonel, they can handle it. Seeing on the commander is not going to be good enough. It's not. You have to develop relationships at a personal level and go as deeply as you possibly can in order to succeed. Now I'll tell you, from observation and from interaction, you do that in fine form. And lastly is something that might be a little bit more esoteric, but it's command and presence. You can't walk up to a colonel as a Lieutenant Colonel and say, I'm the commander. They'll look at his collar and go, that's excellent. I'm not, but I'm me and you're not. That sort of thing. So you have to have a presence that brings the authority to command to that point, to get your point, to get your effect, to get your objective across. And I want you to do it on numerous occasions. Very well done. So whether it was a pandemic that changed the way we work, the way we live, the way we behave toward each other, whether it was supporting numerous deployments, exercises, and the churn of everyday staff life, which is fairly fast paced at the Third Marine aircraft wing that gets after supporting 15,000 Marines and sailors that are out there in the field. You and your outfit with a quintessential enablers, which is codeword for unsung heroes, which by definition means you do your best, you get the job done, and you watch someone else take the line, just that role. You attack it and you crush it. And for that, my hat is off to you from the corner office. But talking about unsung heroes, hey, we know that you were 51% of that command team. And your efforts, believe me, do not go unnoticed. And the support that you gave to your husband and the way that reflected on the command was spurred. Now, be called to the point of friction at some point. I'm a little bit old. It may not be during my time, but it's going to happen. When you look at a command team like this, when you look at the effect that this command team had, I know that when that time comes, and it's a question of when, it's not a question of when. When we build and espouse command teams like this, that's what will get us to the objective. That's what will get us the main carnival. So once again, gratitude and thanks, Andy, superb job. All right, local. Welcome. Welcome to your family. Besides being a low country lad, you know, the heat and humidity of beautiful South Carolina, besides having the indelible length of the T-bolts on you, and the checkerboards, you come with a tremendous reputation, whether it's up at Top Gun, whether it's at the hallway, whether it's with the sweat hogs, whether it's with the T-bolts, or the checkerboards, like I said, or board ship. And when it knows who you are, they know what you're going to bring with you for talent, for force, some of the things that I just told you. It will be a challenge, and it will be fast-paced, but you are selected for the reason to bring out all those things and succeed at the predecessor. So welcome, welcome to everybody, and separate the deltas. Ladies and gentlemen, Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Harbin. Major Joe Mahoney. Colonel Harbin. Colonel Steele. Sergeant Major Wilson. Colonel's Commanders, Sergeant's Major, Master Gunnery Sergeant. Colleagues, friends, and of course family. Thank you so much for being out here on this glorious day to take part in this time-honored tradition. A year ago, we were doing this virtually, so it is very gratifying to see people in person, and I thank you for being here. But an event like this has not come together easily, and I think we need to recognize and keep participants, key people that put this thing together. Sergeant Major Rodriguez and our staff, the color guard, the setup, the tear-down rooms, all the external Marines that supported, and of course the third Marine Aircraft Wing Band, who just makes the ceremony that much better. So if I could get a round of applause for all of you. Major Joe Mahoney, thank you for your comments. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be the Marine Wing Headquarter Squadron 3 Commander. Thank you for giving me the decision space to meet our requirements and our challenges. I'm greatly appreciative. Marine Wing Headquarter Squadron has a rich history, and I am very fortunate to be a part of that squadron's legacy. But really the strength of this squadron and the 580-plus Marines, sailors, and civilians of Phyllis ranks, I've been inspired daily by their hard work, their dedication, and their sense of duty to do something that is greater than themselves. For that I'm honored to be a part of this. Like, personally say thank you and express my gratitude to some key individuals that helped me along the way in providing their time, their mentorship in my professional development. Colonel Steele, Colonel Jarrose, and countless others gave me your time, gave me your honest feedback and critiques, and you made me a better leader and better decision maker. I never thought or expected to face a global pandemic for the bulk of my command team. But as the nation's 9-1-1 force, the Marines did what the Marines did. They saw the challenge, they rose to that challenge, and they adapted as well as they could to get the job done. I'm extremely proud of their hard work and efforts amongst the changing policy and the myriad of changing actions that took place over the last 15 months. I certainly couldn't have navigated a global pandemic without the support and experience of Cap Shuiha, our wing surgeon. Sir, I thank you for our frequent talks, your mentorship, your expertise, your patience, and I'm so blessed to build a relationship with you to help me make better decisions as we've protected our force. So thank you. I'm not alone. I had an incredible staff at the command post that helped me out, and the maims are too many to mention, but a few do stand out for mentioning here. It's my three XOs over the two years, majors O'Driscoll, Weinfeld, major Christie. Thank you for turning ideas into actions leading the staff. Thank you for shouldering the load and providing me that sounding board. I appreciate it. My officers, Major Gravel, my young lieutenants, Lieutenant Hurtado, Ball, Ligon, Heard, Hytel, thank you so much for your energy, tireless work ethic, and relentless job accomplishment in pursuing a job well done. Keep up that good work. The Marine Corps is in great hands as you come up in the ranks. Finally, to Sergeant Major Rodriguez, who I know is probably putting out fire somewhere around here. I can't imagine a better person to have by my side for these two years. Actually, we definitely leaned on you for your support as we went through some challenges. We're grateful for the dog walking, the dog sitting, the taking care of the house, and other things as we live at the hospital. So I thank you very much for everything that you have done for us. We cannot pay it back, but all I can say is that we love you, and we appreciate your support. My wife, Annie, my son, Andrew, much for everything that you have given me. Your strength and ability amazes me daily. I knew that the home front was in good hands. It allowed me to focus on the Marines and Sailors at any moment would be a better commander, and I thank you very much. Lieutenant Colonel Bolen, this is a great day. I am so excited to see what you do to take the Marines and Sailors and civilians of this exceptional unit to the next level. Your past experiences, your reputation, you are set up very well to lead the next challenge that we face. You will be challenged in command, but I know that you will hit it head-on and your resolve will carry us through the day. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish. I wish you all of the best, and I look forward to working with you. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce the new Commanding Officer, Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron III, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Bolen Jr. Thanks, Pee-wee. Colonel, Sergeant Major, Senior Enlicit Fellow Commanders, friends of family. Thank you all for being here today. Looking out amongst the crowd, this is truly an honor. I'm humbled to be standing here. General Mahoney, sir, thank you for the kind words. I'm ready for the challenge. I'm looking forward being part of your team and working with everyone as we go forward. I'd like to take a second to recognize a few key individuals that have been instrumental to me getting to this position. So returning the favor, Pee-wee, first off, thank you for the ridiculously thorough and professional turnover that you gave me over the past couple weeks. You and I didn't know each other three, four months ago, but there is absolutely no way that I would have been able to piece together the 150 different MOSes, the 18 different entities without the dedication and the passion that you have for this command was evident in everything that we did. I truly am grateful to you, to my parents, Tommy Lane, who came all the way from Maine. Thank you guys for being here, even though I know you guys, there was no way that you were going to miss this trip. It goes without saying, I think everybody knows that we're all a product of our upbringing, childhood, in some way, shape or form, good or bad. As I reflect on getting to this position, my experiences, I'm doubly, I know, you guys were instrumental in setting the foundation for my successes. The core values that we hold dear in our naval service were always evident because of you two. If you start something, make sure you finish it, commitment, do what you say you're going to do, take pride in what you do, honor, help those along the way that maybe need some help themselves, courage. Thank you both for the example that you set. Thank you both for doling up the discipline you did that was often needed, I'm sure. And thank you for the unconditional love that you guys continue to provide. I love you. To my sister, Liana, and her sweet little, my nephew, I guess, right? Avery, thank you for coming all the way to Boston. To my brother, Lieutenant Colonel Select, who is also known as a major in the Marine Corps, Marcus, thank you for being here. Thank you guys for your loving support. To all the Marines, sailors, civilians, everyone that I've sat down with over the past couple weeks in this command, thank you all for your professionalism and helping get me up to speed to face this challenge as we go forward here. To the Marines on the field, the ceremony field, I undoubtedly know that all of you volunteered to be out there. So with that, thank you for the time and effort and patience you have to make the ceremony the joy of what it is today. And finally, to the band, it's great to see you guys back in action. As I reflect again back to the ceremonies that I've had in my career and seeing, you never remember what the new guy says up here, right? But what you do remember are the feelings of pride and joy that you see in our band marching before us. So with that, thank you. To all the Marines, sailors and civilians of Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3, as we begin this journey together, there's a lot of uncertainty in it and we can't, we don't know what will happen, right? But the one thing that is guaranteed and that we do know that has been stated and talked about before, underscored throughout history, evidenced by the pandemic that we all face, is that we can't predict what's going to happen tomorrow or the next day or the next. But what I do know is if we come together as a team, we put aside all of our egos, our self-interests, we have a bias for action, and we just execute the basics brilliantly. There's no challenge that we will ever face that we can't overcome. I need everybody in this command to be ready mentally and physically to communicate efficiently and effectively, to uphold and enforce and record standards, and every single day to get just a little bit better so that not if, but when our number is called, we do right by those that have gone before us and uphold the legacy of our core. I'm humbled to be standing up here before you all today. It's an honor to be a part of your team and I look forward to serving with each and every one of you as we start this journey. Thank you and separate for now. In blue flowers, the Herman and Bowen cameras will be making a donation to Rady Children's Hospital, Ronald McDonald House. All donations will be going on behalf of Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3. The commanding officer of Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas E. Bowlin Jr. Lieutenant Colonel Bowlin would like to invite all past commanding officers of Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3 to join him in the reviewing area for the pass and review. As a reminder, please rise as the colors pass in from your position and remain standing for Anchors Away and the Marine's Hind. It is now customary that Marines present and who have served honorably, sing the first verse of the hymn. The commander of troops for today's parade is Major Calvin B. Padden, the aircraft wing bank under the direction of Staff Sergeant John Geary. The drum major is Staff Sergeant Zachary Hyde. Headquarters Squadron 3 Color Sergeant is Sergeant Anthony S. Jeter. Officers and Marines of Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3, thank you for your attendance. Semper Fidelis would like to extend an invitation to join them at the officer's club for a reception.