Commanding Officer, Blount Island Command & Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island

Colonel David A. Merles

Colonel Merles assumed the duties of Commanding Officer, Blount Island Command and Commanding Officer, Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island on 2 July 2025.Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Colonel David A. Merles began his Marine Corps service in 1996 and earned his commission in 2002 after...

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Executive Officer, Blount Island Command

Lieutenant Colonel Marshall A. Hand

Lieutenant Colonel Hand was raised in Mahopac, NY. He graduated from Officer Candidate School in August 2005 and upon his graduation from the State University of New York (SUNY) Albany in June 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. In November...

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Senior Enlisted Leader, Blount Island Command

Sergeant Major Shonor D. Burton

Sergeant Major Shonor D. Burton, a native of Columbia, Mississippi, enlisted in the Marine Corps in June 1999 and completed recruit training at MCRD San Diego in September 1999. Following recruit training, Sergeant Major Burton attended Marine Corps Combat Training at SOI West, Camp Pendleton, CA,...

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