New commander
Lt. Col. Howard F. Hall, a Schuylkill Haven native who commanded the Marines 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion since June 16, 2011, relinquished his command to Lt. Col. William Blanchard, a native of Neptune, N.J., during a change of command ceremony May 31 at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
As commanding officer, Hall oversaw the deployment of his battalion on Marine Expeditionary Units to Okinawa, Japan, and Helmand province, Afghanistan. He has also been proactive with the battalion's family readiness program, making sure the families of his Marines and sailors have been taken care of and looked after.
Hall will now head to the National War College, Washington, D.C., where he will work toward his master's degree in military science. He said he is confident in Blanchard's ability to lead the battalion, as they have worked together in the past