MARINE CORPS BAE QUANTICO, Va. – U.S. Marine Corps Col. Michael L. Brooks relinquished command of MCBQ to Col. Jenny Colegate during a change of command ceremony at Little Hall, July 2.

“I refer to Marine Corps Base Quantico as a village,” Brooks said, “and I do that on purpose. It’s not all about the capabilities, but those [people in Quantico] who involve themselves; they insert themselves into what needs to be done in support of the village.”

This “village” is operated by tens of thousands of military and civilian personnel, all who spread across 27 tenant commands to serve Quantico’s main missions: train and develop the officer corps, improve and procure advanced equipment, and test and develop innovative warfighting concepts.

Brooks played an important role in many milestones that directly impact base operations, the local communities, and the people who live and work here. During his command, Quantico opened a new fire station and the General Robert Neller Warfighting Center, improvements were made to the railway station in Quantico Town, and Lunga Recreation Area reopened after being closed for more than a decade.

Brooks is headed to Marine Corps Forces Reserve in New Orleans where he’ll take over duties as the chief of staff. He thanked those in attendance of the ceremony, including some surrounding county leadership in attendance, then passed the stage onto Colegate.

“I am incredibly honored to be chosen to lead this unique and diverse base that we call ‘the crossroads of the Marine Corps,’” said Colegate, who previously served as the chief of staff and deputy director of investigations for the Office of the Inspector General of the Marine Corps. "To our community partners: I truly look forward to forging the bonds and continuing the relationships that have been built over the years and making them even stronger.”