Another Marine commander fired: California 1st Recon Battalion lieutenant colonel relieved of command

The commanding officer for the Camp Pendleton, California, based 1st Reconnaissance Battalion was relieved of his command on Tuesday, the Marine Corps has announced.

Lt. Col. Francisco X. Zavala is the fourth Marine commander in recent weeks to be sacked.

The commander of the 1st Marine Division, Maj. Gen. Robert F. Castellvi, relieved Zavala over “lost trust and confidence” in his ability to continue to lead 1st Recon battalion, a press release stated.

Maj. Jeffrey Erb has been appointed as the new commander of 1st Recon Battalion, according to the release.

RELATED

Marine colonel commanding cyber operations group fired following drunk driving arrest

Col. Douglas Lemott Jr. was the third colonel fired in recent weeks from a key command position.

By Todd South

The Corps provided no further details.

Zavala was commissioned as an officer in 2000, and has deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2004, he was a platoon commander for 1st Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Company, Security Force Battalion, according to his official military bio.

From 2011 to 2014, Zavala served as the battalion operations officer for 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, his bio stated.

In 2018, Zavala commanded the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force–Peru.

Four Marine commanders ― all between the ranks of lieutenant colonel and colonel ― have been relieved over the past several weeks ― two of those incidents may be related to drunk driving charges.

On April 22, Lt. Col. James R. Compton was relieved of his command of the Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242 in Iwakuni, Japan.

Compton’s squadron was involved in the deadly Dec. 6, 2018, collision of an F/A-18 and KC-130J off the coast of Japan, which claimed the lives of six Marines.

Just days later, the head of Marine Corps Installations Command sacked Col. John B. Atkinson, who commanded Headquarters and Service Battalion at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

According to arrest record, Atkinson was arrested on drunk driving charges April 12 in Prince William County, Virginia, and refused a blood alcohol test.

Col. Douglas Lemott Jr., the commander of Marine Corp Forces Cyberspace Operations Group, was relieved by Maj. Gen. Matthew G. Glavy on May 3.

Court records show Lemott was arrested in Virginia for driving while intoxicated on April 28. Lemott is due in court on June 21.

Ground combat reporter Todd South contributed to this report.

In Other News

Rollback of DOD anti-extremism efforts coming in 2025, experts predict

The piecemeal progress of extremism-prevention efforts during the past four years is more than can be expected out of the Pentagon in 2025, experts said.

From Grinch greetings to Santa sightings, the holidays come to troops

Holiday helpers have been busy, as plenty of organizations and individuals have been working to make the days a bit brighter for troops and their families.

Will most troops move under new household goods program in 2025?

More than half of installations in the continental United States are moving troops' shipments under the new system.

VA to resume new electronic health record rollout in mid-2026

The project was scheduled to take 10 years and cost $16 billion. Nearly eight years later, only six of VA’s 170-plus medical sites are using the software.

Suicides among veterans remain unchanged despite federal focus

The figures are the latest available from federal census data and suggest limited progress on the issue of suicide prevention by Veterans Affairs leaders.

Load More