Marine Corps Base Quantico -- On Friday, at a ceremony in Little Hall, command of Marine Corps Base Quantico passed from Col. David Maxwell to Col. Joseph Murray. Maxwell had served as base commander since May 19, 2012.

During his tenure at MCBQ, Maxwell accrued a long list of accomplishments. On a daily basis he worked with commanding officers and civilian leaders from 20 tenant organizations aboard the base. He worked with numerous base representatives; federal, state and local community leaders; business owners and private citizens to manage community encroachment issues while maintaining full training capability. He played an integral role in developing the base’s master plan for the next 15 years.

Additionally, Maxwell presided over approximately $300 million worth of military construction projects, including the construction of new buildings at The Basic School and Marine Corps University and the widening of Russell Road. He ensured the Russell Road project was complete in time for the 2015 Department of Defense Warrior Games.

In perhaps his most public achievement, Maxwell supervised three iterations of the Marine Corps Marathon, an event that Maj. Gen. Charles Hudson, commanding general of Marine Corps Installations Command, described as “the Marine Corps’ largest public relations event.” After the Boston marathon bombing in April 2013, Maxwell invited the police chief of the Boston Police Department down to Quantico to share lessons learned so he could help keep the more than 40,000 runners, staff, volunteers and spectators safe.

Hudson likened Maxwell’s role as base commander to that of “a mayor of a town with over 25,000 employees and residents.”

At the end of the ceremony, Hudson presented Maxwell with the Legion of Merit. Following the reception, Maxwell was frocked to the rank of brigadier general in preparation for his coming deployment to Afghanistan, where he will serve as the J-4 officer with the International Security Assistance Force.

Murray most recently served as the J-4 officer for United States Forces Afghanistan. Not new to Quantico, Murray previously served as a staff platoon commander at The Basic School. Born and raised just up the road in Washington, D.C., Murray attended Gonzaga College High School.

In his parting words during the ceremony, Maxwell told Murray that though there will be headaches, commanding MCBQ “is an awesome time, an awesome ride.”