A leader with 33 years serving in the Marines, most recently as commander of the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, is headed to the East Coast to lead the Corps’ Training and Education Command.

Maj. Gen. Benjamin Watson handed over the reins of the storied Blue Diamond division to Maj Gen. Robert Fulford during a change of command ceremony at Camp Pendleton last week. Fulford most recently served the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton as its deputy commanding general.

In the July 2 ceremony, which included local community representatives from towns surrounding the base, Watson called his two-year stint leading the division’s  20,000 Marines and sailors the “best general officer job in the Marine Corps.”

“As the oldest, largest and most decorated division in our Corps, serving in the Blue Diamond brings with it a palpable sense of pride that resonates from the private first class to the major general,” Watson said. “You can feel it, and there is nothing quite like it.”

He also highlighted the division’s goals of readiness and modernization.

“I think the greatest highlight and challenge has been watching this team work so hard to balance the imperative to be ready to fight now if the nation calls, with the experimentation and innovation needed to help our Corps modernize for the future,” he said, adding that preparing the troops for overseas deployment and responses to an unexpected crisis is critical.

He was praised for respecting all his Marines, regardless of their ranks or enlistment levels, and for making the division “focused and ready to fight.”

“He treated everyone the same, whether it was another general officer or a junior Marine,”  Sgt. Maj. Matthew Fouss, the sergeant major of the division, said during the ceremony. “He gave respect and attention to everyone he engaged with, while also holding all to Marine Corps standards and discipline. He expected nothing less than your best efforts, as it is critical to the division’s success.”

Among those in attendance was Wayne Eggleston, a former San Clemente mayor who spearheaded the creation of Park Semper Fi in town. The grounds overlooking the ocean just north of San Clemente Pier host Marine Corps and Navy celebrations, including a special Fourth of July celebration for active-duty Marines and sailors who enjoyed a private viewing of the city’s fireworks show.

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“It’s important for a representative from San Clemente to go, after all our adopted Marine Corps unit, the 2/5, is part of the 1sr Marine Division,” Eggleston said, adding he was impressed by Watson’s speech on what he accomplished with the division during his two-year command.

“The new general is also terrific, and the division will be in great hands,” Eggleston said, adding that he was excited to shake Fulford’s hand and hoped the close relationship with San Clemente and the division would continue.

Fulford said he would continue the division’s tradition of excellence and readiness.

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