I Marine Expeditionary Force

Sgt. Maj. Bradley Kasal, the outgoing I Marine Expeditionary Force sergeant major, gives remarks during a relief and appointment ceremony on Camp Pendleton, Calif., May 18, 2018. Sgt. Maj James Porterfield replaced Kasal as I MEF sergeant major. Kasal has served as I MEF sergeant major since 2015 and is retiring from the Marine Corps after 34 years of service. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jacob Farbo)

Sgt. Maj. James Porterfield, the incoming I Marine Expeditionary Force sergeant major, receives the sword of office from Lt. Gen. Lewis Craparotta, the I MEF commanding general, during a relief and appointment ceremony on Camp Pendleton, Calif., May 18, 2018. Porterfield replaced Sgt. Maj Bradley Kasal as I MEF sergeant major. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jacob Farbo)

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (March 24, 2018) – Marines and Sailors with 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, prepare to march in the 60th Swallows Day Parade on March 24, 2018. The parade is one of the nation’s largest non-motorized parades and is held annually as part of paying tribute to the city’s Spanish and western history. During the parade, the Marines marched in formation and carried their unit colors and the American flag. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ruth Wheeley)

The 1st Marine Division Band marches in formation during the activation ceremony of the Marine Expeditionary Force Support Battalion on Camp Pendleton, Calif., April 11, 2018. The newly formed MSB will assume the responsibilities of administrative support to the I MEF Command Element to better posture the I MEF Information Group to focus on leading in the information environment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jacob A. Farbo)

Sgt. Maj. Bradley Kasal, sergeant major, I Marine Expeditionary Force, speaks at the West Coast Senior Enlisted Professional Dinner at Valley Center, Calif., Feb. 8, 2018. The dinner, which hosted enlisted leadership from all over the West Coast, is an engagement that encourages comradery and a reaffirmation of core values amongst Marine Corps and Navy senior enlisted personnel. (U.S Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Robert Bliss)

Marines with I Marine Expeditionary Force drive light armored vehicles by cheering crowds during the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl Parade, in San Diego, Dec. 28, 2017. In 2017, I MEF Marines and Sailors supported more than 140 community events. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Cutler Brice)

The Honorable Susan M. Gordon, left, speaks with Col. John Walker, Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2 Intelligence, I Marine Expeditionary Force on Camp Pendleton, Calif., Jan. 29, 2018. Gordon is the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence and visited Camp Pendleton to meet with key I MEF personnel concerning how the intelligence community supports warfighting and tactics in the modern era. “The information environment of today is a very different world,” said Gordon, who has worked in the intelligence community for nearly three decades. “We live in a world where there are more pieces than most puzzles require. The data is abundant, unlike 15 years ago.” The speaking engagement was held in front of a full house, which included Marines of varying ranks and backgrounds. Gordon spoke about the intersection of intelligence, policy and hard-won leadership. “The number of challenges [we face] is stunning,” she said. “Our purpose is to provide information to act on those challenges.” This visit comes a week after the Marine Corps released selections for full-time study in the National Intelligence University undergraduate and graduate programs. Two of the five Marines selected, Sgt. Grant Kollinger and Gunnery Sgt. Jeffrey Houston, are from 1st Intelligence Battalion, I MEF Information Group. Through this opportunity, these Marines will be able to apply increased knowledge to their jobs and their units, adding to the proficiency of the intelligence community as a whole.

Tactics instructors with the I Marine Expeditionary Force Advisor Training Branch closely supervise the use of AK-47 assault rifles as part of a foreign weapons demonstration for Marines with Task Force Al-Taqaddum 18.1 Rotation 6 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Jan. 16, 2018. The demonstration was done in order to familiarize the Marines with weapons they may encounter while deployed overseas. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Robert Bliss)

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is fired from the flight deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23) during Dawn Blitz 2017 over the Pacific Ocean, Oct. 22, 2017. Dawn Blitz is a scenario-driven exercise designed to train and integrate Navy and Marine Corps units by providing a robust training environment where forces plan and execute an amphibious assault, engage in live-fire events, and establish expeditionary advanced bases in a land and maritime threat environment to improve naval amphibious core competencies. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Matthew Dickinson)