The commander of a North Carolina-based helicopter squadron was fired Wednesday for not properly reporting an off-duty incident that is being investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, according to II Marine Expeditionary Force.
Lt. Col. Jennifer Grieves was relieved of command of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464 by Maj. Gen. Matthew Glavy, commander of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, a II MEF news release says.
"Glavy based his decision on issues stemming from an off-duty incident that was not properly reported," the news release says. "The unreported incident was not related to squadron operations."
Grieves was arrested at her home in the early morning of Dec. 16 and charged with simple assault, said Col. Donald Worrell, of the Onslow County Sheriff's Office. Worrell characterized the incident as a domestic assault but he did not elaborate further. Grieves was taken to the local jail and released after her court appearance later in the morning, he said.
A spokesman for II MEF declined to comment about the incident that led to Grieves' relief of command.
"There is an ongoing NCIS investigation into the incident so I can't provide any additional information," said Lt. Col. Mike Armistead. "No details on her next assignment, specifically, at this time."
Grieves took command of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464 in May 2016. She enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1990 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant eight years later after completing the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Maryland, her official biography says.
She has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and served as the first female aircraft commander for the president's helicopter in 2008, flying both Presidents Bush and Obama, according to the Marine Corps.
"There are so many things that we get to be a part of in a discreet way," she said in a July 2009 Marine Corps news story after flying Obama to Rome for a G8 Summit. "I will always cherish them."
Her military awards include the Combat Action Ribbon, five Air Medals and three Meritorious Service Medals.
Grieves will be reassigned within II MEF and Lt. Col. Troy Callahan will assume command of the squadron. Callahan previously led Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron One.
