Few Answers After Three Leaders of Marine Reserve Regiment Fired

Editor's Note: The Department of the Navy’s Board for the Correction of Naval Records ultimately determined that Col. Morgan Mann was unjustly removed from command by Lt. Gen. Rex McMillian. On Feb. 22, 2021, the BCNR directed the Commandant of the Marine Corps to remove all adverse material from his official record.

Three senior Marines at a Massachusetts reserve unit were relieved of their posts in one fell swoop this week, officials confirmed Thursday.

On Wednesday, Marine Forces Reserve Commanding Officer Lt. Gen. Rex McMillian relieved Col. Morgan Mann, commanding officer of 25th Marine Regiment, out of Fort Devens, Massachusetts.

Also relieved were Sgt. Maj. James Boutin, inspector-instructor for the regiment, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Hoy, also assigned to the unit.

The Marines were relieved because McMillian lost confidence in their ability to command, a spokeswoman for Marine Forces Reserve, 2nd Lt. Stephanie Leguizamon, told Military.com in a statement. Marine Corps Times first reported the reliefs Thursday.

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Leguizamon did not have additional information about why the Marines were relieved and could not immediately say whether the moves had come in connection with an investigation.

It's rare for multiple leaders to be removed at a time, and especially rare for the Marine Reserve.

Leguizamon said the last time a commanding officer was relieved within Marine Forces Reserve was 2012.

Mann enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1987, according to his official biography, and has led numerous infantry units, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and 2007; to Afghanistan in 2013; and in support of the fight against ISIS in 2014. His awards include the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star with V device, and he sits on the editorial advisory board of the Marine Corps Gazette.

He assumed command of the 25th Marine Regiment in March 2017.

Boutin joined the Marine Corps in 1989 and earned the machine gunner military occupational specialty. He deployed to Iraq in 2005 and 2009 and to Afghanistan in 2013 and 2014, earning the Bronze Star, among other awards.

Prior to coming to 25th Marines, he served as the senior enlisted adviser for Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response Africa, based in Moron, Spain.

Hoy, a personnel officer, entered the Corps in 1995. He deployed to Iraq in 2003 and is currently a member of the active reserve, according to information provided by MarForRes.

All three will be reassigned within the 4th Marine Division, Leguizamon said.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.