The commander of the Marine detachment at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, was sacked on June 19, according to Marine officials.
Colonel William Blanchard was relieved of his command by Brig. Gen. William Bowers, the commanding general of Marine Corps Education Command, “due to loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command,” Marine Corps Combat Development Command told Marine Corps Times in an emailed statement.
The Corps provided no other details surrounding the firing of Blanchard.
The detachment’s executive officer, Lt. Col. John Knutson, has been temporarily assigned as the commander of the Marine unit, Marine officials said.
RELATED
Six Marine commanders ― all between the ranks of lieutenant colonel and colonel ― have been relieved over the past three months.
Marine officials announced on June 20 that Lt. Col. Nathaniel A. Baker, the commander of the Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, Marine air station, had been sacked.
Baker was relieved following a command review of an April liberty incident.
The Marine detachment at Fort Leavenworth provides support for Marines assigned to or supporting the Joint Force Development, the United States Army Combined Arms Center, the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and the Army Corrections Command.
Shawn Snow is the senior reporter for Marine Corps Times and a Marine Corps veteran.
