The Commander and top enlisted leader of 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion aboard the Twentynine Palms Marine base were fired Monday. According to media reports, Major General Eric Smith, commander of 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, removed Lt. Col. Rafael A. Candelario II and Sgt. Maj. Marcus A. Chestnut. Candelario, 47, was the commander of the “Wolfpack” and Chestnut, 45, his senior enlisted Marine. Candelario took command of 3rd LAR June 15, 2017.
Marine spokesman Capt. Paul Gainey said, “The commanding general lost confidence in their ability to lead 3rd LAR”. Gainey declined to say why Smith lost confidence in the senior leaders or if an investigation was underway. Smith ordered Lt. Col. John Kinitz to Twentynine Palms to assume command of the battalion until a permanent replacement can be named. The 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion is a fast vehicular unit that conducts reconnaissance-in-force ahead of infantry forces.
