JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --
U.S. Marine Corps Col. David Merles took command of Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island on July 2, relieving Col. Luke Watson, during a ceremony in Florida.
Merles will lead more than 1,200 service members, government civilians and defense contractors at the hub of the Marine Corps’ prepositioning programs. Blount Island Command supports Marine expeditionary forces worldwide during military exercises and contingency operations, from combat to humanitarian.
The change of command ceremony took place aboard the USNS Sgt. William W. Seay, docked at a 1,000-foot slipway near a high-capacity crane used to load and unload U.S. Navy maritime prepositioning ships. Several former commanders, along with local, state and congressional representatives, attended.
Maj. Gen. Keith Reventlow, commanding general of Marine Corps Logistics Command, presided over the ceremony, recognizing Watson's leadership and welcoming Merles.
Reventlow, who traveled from Albany, Georgia, said Blount Island Command is an organization he worries least about, "in a good way."
"The team down here does great work, has done great work for a very long time," Reventlow said. He highlighted the command's role as a "strategic deterrent" and its strong culture, charging Merles to "take what Luke has built and continue to build on it."
Reventlow thanked Watson for his service and dedication.
During Watson's tenure, Blount Island Command managed billions of dollars in globally prepositioned equipment, maintaining 100% audit compliance with readiness rates consistently above 90%. The workforce spearheaded key developments in global prepositioning, expanding ashore sites, modernizing afloat platforms and enhancing integration with joint and allied logistics frameworks. His command supported exercises across Norway, the Philippines, Korea, Saudi Arabia and Jordan and sent aid to Gaza.
Watson also oversaw resiliency projects to protect the shoreline, ensure redundancy to critical infrastructure and enhance installation security. He cut the ribbon to a new $14.2 million police and emergency operations center in March, boosting storm resilience and mission protection.
Watson said he was "immensely proud" to have led the organization and thanked his command element.
Merles enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1996 and was commissioned through the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program. His previous assignments include deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and instructing at The Basic School. He is a graduate of The Citadel and holds multiple master's degrees.
Merles thanked the former commanders of Blount Island Command for their "legacy of excellence."
"I'm honored to serve as your commander," Merles said to the Marines, sailors and civilian teammates.
The change of command ceremony is a time-honored tradition representing the transfer of authority and responsibility. Watson had been in command since Aug. 11, 2023.