Michael R . Lehnert Major General Michael R . Lehnert served as Commanding General , Marine Corps Installations West . He graduated from Central Michigan University in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant through the Platoon Leader Course program . After attending the Marine Officers Basic School in Quantico , Virginia , he was transferred to Camp Lejeune , North Carolina . Assignments at Camp Lejeune included : engineer platoon commander and maintenance officer LSU - 32 and S - 4 , H & S Battalion , 2nd FSSG . Assigned to 9th Engineer Support Battalion in Okinawa , Japan , he served as Battalion Operations Officer and finished his tour as commander Company A , 9th Engineers . In 1977 , he was ordered to Marine Barracks , Subic Bay , Republic of the Philippines as the Operations Officer . In 1978 , he took command of Company A , Marine Barracks , Subic Bay . In 1979 , he attended the U . S . Army Advanced Engineer School at Fort Belvoir , Virginia . After graduation , he served as Executive Officer , USMC Recruiting Station , San Antonio , Texas . He was transferred to Camp Pendleton , California in 1983 and held the following assignments from 1983 to 1986 : Company Commander , Company C , 1st Landing Support Battalion ; Commanding Officer , Combat Service Support Detachment 11 ; Commanding Officer , Combat Service Support Detachment 16 ; Executive Officer , MAU Service Support Group 17 ; Landing Force Support Party Cdr , BSSG 7 ; and MEF Engineer , First Marine Amphibious Force . In 1987 , he was selected for Armed Forces Staff College . After graduation , he was assigned to the United States Southern Command in the J - 3 Operations Directorate as Chief , Central American Exercise Branch . During the Panama crisis , he participated in Operation Just Cause and Operation Promote Liberty . He was reassigned in 1990 as Inspector - Instructor , 6th Engineer Support Battalion , Portland , Oregon . He was selected for top level school , and completed the Naval War College in 1993 with the award of a Master ' s Degree . In 1993 , he was assigned to the Joint Warfighting Center in Norfolk , Virginia where he served as the Chief of the Futures Branch , Doctrine Division . In 1995 , he reported to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and participated in Operation Sea Signal , Guantanamo Bay , Cuba as Commander , Joint Task Group Bulkeley , JTF 160 . Where he commanded the security forces responsible for operation of Cuban and Haitian migrant camps . He commanded Marine Wing Support Group 27 at Cherry Point , North Carolina from May 23 , 1996 to May 28 , 1998 . He was reassigned as the Deputy Chief of Staff , G - 4 II MEF . In 1999 , he deployed to Panama as the Chief of Staff , Joint Task Force Panama to oversee the final turnover of the Canal and the remaining military bases . His first tour as a general officer was at Headquarters Marine Corps , where he served as the Assistant Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics . He took command of 2nd Force Service Support Group ( FSSG ) in July 2001 and in January 2002 , he deployed to Guantanamo Bay , Cuba as Commander , Joint Task Force 160 . JTF 160 ' s mission was to construct and operate the detention facilities for Taliban and Al Queda detainees . While in command of the detention facility , he endeavoured to ensure that the provisions of the Geneva Convention were applied , in the face of opposition from then defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld , inviting the ICRC to visit and advise on conditions of detention , appointing a Muslim chaplain and creating an ethos of human decency . In 2003 , he deployed with the 2d FSSG to the CENTCOM theater and participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom as Commander , Marine Logistics Command . He then served as Chief of Staff , United States Southern Command , Miami , Florida . His most recent assignment was as Commanding General , Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton , California . Awards . Decorations include :