MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — Lt. Gen. Kenneth Glueck who was integral to developing the Corps' post-Afghanistan concept of operations, transferred leadership of Marine Corps Combat Development Command to Lt. Gen. Robert Walsh Thursday during a ceremony at Marine Corps Base Quantico., Virginia.Lt. Gen. Kenneth Glueck transferred leadership of Marine Corps Combat Development Command to Lt. Gen. Robert Walsh Thursday during a ceremony at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

As he handed MCCDC's colors to Walsh, Glueck marked the end of a 41-year career that earned high praise from Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford.

"The cardinal direction of the Corps has been set by Kenneth Glueck, and we are in the right place," Dunford said of Glueck's concurrent work as the commander of MCCDC and deputy commandant for Combat Development and Integration, where he shepherded developments ranging from future equipment to new doctrine.

Dunford lauded Glueck, specifically for his efforts overseeing the development of Expeditionary Force 21 — a post-Afghanistan concept of operations that emphasizes small-scale, expeditionary, crisis-response operations — and a detailed ground vehicle strategy, with the Marine Corps’ next-generation ship-to-shore troop transport, the Amphibious Combat Vehicle, as its cornerstone.

The MCCDC job can feel thankless, however, Dunford said. It can take years to see the results of big-ticket programs and doctrinal shifts. But Glueck later acknowledged feeling a sense of accomplishment he feels a sense of accomplishment already.

"I feel really good about the Maine Corps' position today," Glueck said. "As the commandant alluded to, you don’t see instant gratification. It’s going to take a couple of years before you actually see the fruits of your efforts. But, I feel really good with the team we have had. They have worked to position us for success in the future so we will be able to be more effective executing Expeditionary Force – 21."

EF-21 has sparked new initiatives that include maritime prepositioning to stage gear near potential flash points, the development of new medical technologies to push surgical capabilities into remote locations, crisis-response forces that can swoop in on a moment's notice to evacuate U.S. personnel or protect diplomatic facilities, and renewed emphasis on light gear and vehicles.

Glueck’s career began as a naval aviator in 1976 with Marine Attack Helicopter Squadron 169 at Camp Pendleton, California. His career highlights include a tour with Marine Helicopter Squadron 1 as a presidential command pilot beginning in 1983; a stint as the executive officer of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 in 1990, which included deployments during Operation Desert Shield and to the Balkans; command of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 1998; chief of staff of U.S. Southern Command in 2005; and service as the chief of staff of Multi-national Force Iraq in 2008. In 2011, he took command of III Marine Expeditionary Force and U.S. Marine Forces Japan in Okinawa, before finally arriving at MCCDC in 2013.

Some of the operational highlights he most remembers include humanitarian relief operations in Asia.

Lt. Gen. Kenneth J. Glueck, III Marine Expeditionary Force commanding general and Task Force 505 commander, looks out at the aftermath of the tsunami that ravaged coastal areas of northern Japan from a CH-46E Sea Knight March 11. Glueck traveled to the island of Oshima, one of the hardest hit areas of Japan, to see Marines and sailors from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, III MEF, who have been aiding local government authorities and personnel in a clean-up operation of the area.

Lt. Gen. KennethGlueck, III Marine Expeditionary Force commanding general and Task Force 505 commander, looks out at the aftermath of the tsunami that ravaged coastal areas of northern Japan in 2011. At his retirement ceremony Thursday, Glueck called the experience of providing critical assistance in the wake of a humanitarian crisis one of the most memorable and rewarding of his professional career.

Photo Credit: Cpl. Megan Angel/Marine Corps

"There are a lot of operations we worked on, but something that strikes you is when you do disaster relief operations — particularly when we did the Southe East Asia tsunami back in '05. And the second one that jumps out at me is Operation Tomadachi, to see the impact that you can bring to our allies, to partners and to the world to be able to help them recover from such a disaster," he said, referring to referencing his time as the commander of Joint Task Force 505, which responded to the following a 2011's 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan in 2011.  "To see the impact that you can bring to our allies, to partners, and to the world to be able to help them recover from such a disaster."

Walsh, the incoming head of MCCDC and deputy commandant for CD&I, last served as the director of the Expeditionary Warfare Division for the Chief of Naval Operations. He is a 1975 Naval Academy graduate and an F/A-18 pilot. who has served as the Tactics and Readiness Officer at the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, better known as Topgun. 

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