The commanding officer of Marine Corps Base Hawaii was relieved of his duties Monday following "a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to lead," the service said.
Col. Eric Schaefer, who assumed command of the base in August, was removed from his post lieved of his duties by Maj. Gen. Charles Hudson, the commanding general of Marine Corps Installations Pacific, according to a Marine Corps news release. Schaefer was reassigned to another position effective immediately.
"The Marine Corps holds all Marines, especially commanders, responsible for their actions, and is committed to upholding high standards of honor, courage and commitment within the ranks," the release states.
No additional details about the relief or Schaefer's new position were immediately available. Schaefer could not immediately be reached for comment.
Col. Christopher Snyder, the deputy commander of Marine Corps Installations Pacific, has been assigned as the interim commanding officer of Marine Corps Base Hawaii . He'll remain in that role until a permanent replacement is named by Headquarters Marine Corps.
Schaefer, a career aviator with more than 2,000 flight hours, graduated from San Diego State University in 1991, according to his official Marine Corps biography. He served as the commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 214, which was named the Marine aviation attack squadron of the year in 2009 following a deployment to Afghanistan's Helmand province.
Prior to assuming command of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Schaefer served as the deputy director of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Staff Training Program Division.
Schaefer is the second commanding officer of Marine Corps Base Hawaii to be relieved in recent years. In October 2011, Col. Jeffrey Woods was removed from his job following a loss of confidence in his ability to lead.
