The first woman to command a Marine ground combat arms unit has taken charge at Camp Pendleton. Lt. Col. Michelle I. Macander took over as commanding officer of 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division during a change of command ceremony June 22.
"It is a privilege to carry on the legacy of this storied battalion, and continue to provide support to the largest and most decorated Division in the Marine Corps. I'm honored to be a part of the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion team,” Macander said.
The road to this milestone for women in the Marine Corps has been a long one. Infantry opened to women in 2012 and the Pentagon opened all jobs at the end of 2015. According to the Marine Corps, 38 women have tried to become infantry officers and only eight have gotten into the grueling Infantry Officer Course. The second woman Marine to complete the course did so on June 23. She intends to be a ground intelligence officer. Woman Marine veterans said it is important for both junior women and men in the Marines to see a woman in command.
Macander was the honor graduate from the Marine Corps Engineer School, according to her Marine Corps biography. The New York native participated in the initial movement into Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom I in 2003 and served as Operations Officer during a deployment to Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
