MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Lt. Col. F. Lance Lewis relinquished command of Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron to Lt. Col. Karl Schmidt on the parade deck aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, June 9, 2014.
After serving two years as H&HS commanding officer, Lewis is heading to the National War College in Washington D.C. to further his professional military education.
“There is no officer out there that wants to give up command of more than 800 Marines and sailors,” said Lewis. “There is a little bit of sadness, but it’s time to move on.”
As Lewis moves on, he said he is confident in the abilities of his successor to lead H&HS in the right direction.
“He is going to do great,” said Lewis. “He is a great man and Marine. He is only going to take the command to the next level.”
Schmidt came to MCAS Iwakuni from United States Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Fla., where he served as the maritime branch chief, current operations directorate and a member of the Joint Operations Center’s Crisis Action Team.
“Coming from the U.S. Central Command, it’s a world of difference,” said Schmidt. “That was an important staff job and now I’m moving into an operational unit.”
During his time with H&HS, Schmidt said he plans to instill in his Marines the value of selfless service.
“As a commanding officer, it is important to put the needs of your Marines and the Marine Corps before yourself,” said Schmidt. “That is one of the main things I hope to bring to the Marines here. Not saying they don’t already have it, but I plan to bring it to the forefront of what we do as a unit.”
Schmidt’s focus on selfless service is a change of direction from Lewis’s emphasis on combat readiness. During his time with H&HS, Lewis took the unit on conditioning hikes and constructed a bivouac involving patrols, crew-served weapons and more to refresh the Marines combat training.
“One day the Marine Corps could call on you to be a rifleman,” explained Lewis. “I would fail as a commanding officer if I didn’t try to instill that in everyone.”
Lewis said H&HS is a dream for a first time commanding officer and he couldn’t have asked for a better tour.
“It’s been a privilege and a pleasure,” said Lewis.