Brigadier Gen. Joaquin F. Malavet speaks during the Marine Corps Installations Pacific – Marine Corps Base Camp Butler change of command ceremony June 12, aboard Camp Foster Okinawa, Japan. Malavet took command of MCIPAC from Maj. Gen. Charles L. Hudson who will be the new commander of Marine Corps Installations Command, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. Malavet, who previously commanded 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade and also served as the Deputy Commander for I MEF Camp Pendleton, California, is a naval aviator with almost 30 years’ experience as a commissioned officer including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and is also a graduate of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. Malavet has a vast amount of experience with different exercises including joint exercise Pacific Horizon which is a crisis response exercise where 1st MEB takes on a support role similar to that of MCIPAC’s mission of supporting III MEF in crisis response situations. Malavet expressed how impressed he was with MCIPAC’s mission readiness and how he looks forward to these next few years as commander. “Most importantly I want to acknowledge and thank the Marines, sailors, civilians; both U.S. and Japanese, who work so hard and diligently with Marine Corps Installations Pacific.”