A change of command marked at Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany

MCLB-ALBANY — Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany marked another chapter in its leadership with a change of command ceremony Thursday morning.

Col. James C. Carroll, III, MCLB-Albany’s outgoing commanding officer, officially transferred his title and responsibilities to Col. Alphonso Trimble. Carroll is leaving to start a new assignment at the Pentagon’s Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy.

“This represents a great day in the sense that we’re turning over phenomenal command to a phenomenal leader who’s going to take the base and the area to greater heights,” Carroll said.

During the ceremony, Carroll was recognized for being “extremely passionate about his Marines, his command and what he does for our Corps,” leading the base through recovery efforts after the January 2017 storms, his Star Status designation and award from the Voluntary Protection Program for his dedication to base safety protocols and mechanisms and advancing a project for the base to become the first within the Marine Corps and Department of the Navy to achieve “Net Zero” status by using renewable energy to fully meet the base’s annual energy demands and consume as much power as is generated.

“In Albany, (growing) really is easy,” Carroll remarked. “Albany first rolls out the welcome mat for all of its newcomers, in a sense, and especially (for) its military and (Department of Defense) members. Coming in to the new job at the time, they just made us feel welcome. We had a phenomenal team who was standing by and ready to assist, to help grow us, really, into the job.

“As you know, we’ve had some challenges but the team stepped up to the plate and they literally hit the ball across the fence.”

Carroll said the leadership transition was “phenomenal.”

“We were blessed with some great weather,” he said. “For the most part, we had a large community presence here to say farewell and to welcome Col. Trimble and his family. The Marines who performed today were just simply amazing. They were flawless in every action … I’m very pleased with everything that took place today.”

Before becoming MCLB’s new commanding officer, Trimble served as the Pentagon’s secretary of the general staff. He talked a bit about his week at the Marine base.

“(My time at the base has) been awesome,” he said. “It actually has been a whirlwind because (Carroll) has had me set up to get a good turnover, so I had a great opportunity to meet the great civilian workforce here, the Marines who work here, some of the family members who work here. It’s just been a fantastic week. It’s been busy, but it’s been a good week.”

As far as what Trimble plans to do as the new commanding officer, he said he would build on the foundation already in place.

“Some of my goals are basically to continue the great progress that (Carroll) and Shari (Carroll’s wife) have put in place,” the incoming colonel said. “I can’t do any better than that. I’ll continue to march on with all the smart initiatives that he’s got going and whatever the Marine Corps asks of us.”