MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Communications Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group, introduced a new company commander to the ranks during a change of command ceremony here, July 21.
Maj. Daryl Desimone, company commander of Comm. Co., CLR-17, 1st MLG, relinquished his command to Capt. Jason Kikta, incoming company commander.
Kikta served as the executive officer of Comm. Co. before taking over as the commander.
“I’m very excited,” said Kikta, 33, from Hanover, Ind. “It is a tremendous opportunity. I look forward to carrying on the great work that Maj. Desimone and everyone at the company has done thus far.”
Desimone, who has been the company commander for the past year, explained how great the Marines were while he was in charge.
“The Marines have been fantastic,” said Desimone, 40, from Stanwood, Wash. “They’ve worked very hard, and I’m proud of them.”
During his time as company commander, Desimone said a highlight of his reign was the field exercise the company conducted through the ceremony. The communications exercise was a field training operation conducted by the Marines to get them better acquainted to setting up and operating communications gear, such as internet and telephones.
“The highlight of my time here has to be this [communications exercise],” said Desimone. “We had more sites out here and it was bigger than any other time I have been with the MLG. We actually took a complex structure and put it together.”
Toward the end of the ceremony, each commander gave remarks to the distinguished guests and the Marines. Kikta said that he looks forward to working with the Marines as their new leader.
“I look forward to this fall as we continue to prepare our Marines to support [Operation Enduring Freedom] 12 and also looking forward to all the [Marine Expeditionary Brigade] exercises as we get back to our expeditionary roots.”