
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 4, 1994                    TAG: 9406040263 
SECTION: LOCAL                     PAGE: D3    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY JACK DORSEY, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: 940604                                 LENGTH: NORFOLK

MARINE UNIT PULLING OUT OF NORFOLK

{LEAD} The Marines will begin moving their force command headquarters out of Norfolk to Camp Lejeune, N.C., beginning this summer, taking a three-star general and 150-member staff as well, officials announced Friday.

The relocation, which has been rumored for months, affects about 450 Marines and is a cost-saving move driven by reductions in forces.

{REST} Previously known as the Atlantic Fleet Marine Force, now called the Marine Corps Forces Atlantic, the command has been located at Camp Elmore and in the Atlantic Fleet Compound, just north of Terminal Boulevard.

The Camp Elmore facility, which will be taken over by the Navy, will continue to house the Marine Corps Exchange, service station, convenience store and gymnasium.

Lt. Gen. William M. Keys, the commanding general, and a small number of Marines will relocate to Camp Lejeune early this summer. Eventually the move will involve about 150 Marines from Norfolk.

Another 55 staff members will remain in Norfolk as a liaison element of the command to provide coordination between Camp Lejeune and the U.S. Atlantic Command headquartered here.

The liaison element is to be headed by Brig. Gen. (selectee) Bruce B. Byrum, currently chief of staff of U.S. Marine Corps Forces-designate, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.

The remainder will move to other units in Norfolk, retire, or will be transferred elsewhere.

In addition to his role as commander of the Marine Forces Atlantic, Keys also is the commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force, serving as operational commander of 50,000 North Carolina-based Marines and sailors. About 70 percent of the headquarters' daily functions and operations are with the Camp Lejeune forces.

The relocation will enable the Marine Corps to maximize unity of command, increase flexibility and save money, according to officials. Locating the headquarters with the subordinate commands already at Camp Lejeune will streamline command functions, eliminate many duplicate staff functions, enhance training and deployment and permit the commanding general to exercise on-station command of his war-fighting forces.

{KEYWORDS} U.S. MARINE CORPS RELOCATION CAMP ELMORE

by CNB