Command changes hands at Indian Head Marine unit

CBIRF says hello to Pollock, bids Rohlfs fond farewell

Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008

Click here to enlarge this photo U.S. Navy photo by DOUG DAVANT Lt. Col. Michael Rohlfs, left, prepares to hand off the command colors to incoming commanding officer Col. John Pollock during CBIRF’s change of command ceremony at Naval Support Facility Indian Head on July 9. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

Col. John M. Pollock took command of Naval Support Facility Indian Head’s leathernecks and the majority of its sailors from its acting commander, Lt. Col. Michael P. Rohlfs, last month.

Rohlfs was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by Lt. Gen. Keith J. Stalder, commanding general of the 2 Marine Expeditionary Force, for what was cited as ‘‘outstanding leadership” of the unit. He had commanded Indian Head’s Marines and CBIRF sailors for the last year and will now return to the CBIRF executive officer post that he held previous to that assignment.

In turning over the command, Rohlfs concluded his appreciation for ‘‘the support that was shown to me” with a quotation from King Whitney Jr., ‘‘‘Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind,’” Rohlfs recited. ‘‘‘To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.’”

‘‘CBIRF is comprised of outstanding Marines, sailors and civilians ... this is a bittersweet day for me,” he said. ‘‘I am humbled and honored to have served you and fortunate to continue as your executive officer. ... It is now time to move forward, to take up the torch and move CBIRF to the next level.”

Stalder praised Rohlfs for his service, pointing out that ‘‘under Mike’s leadership great things continued to get done” and cited strides in both the basic and advanced CBIRF qualification courses, requirements that Marines in the unit must meet.

The three-star general also lauded Rohlfs’ wife for her role in ‘‘support for quality of life” for the unit’s members. He told them both that they had directly ‘‘raised the level of support” and bolstered CBIRF’s core readiness as a first responder for radiological, biological or chemical incidents in the greater national capital region and beyond.

‘‘All-in-all a tremendous record under Mike’s leadership,” Stalder said. He also noted how CBIRF ‘‘began in the pre- [Sept. 11, 2001] days when what was then a threat became real.

‘‘CBIRF is now one of the most respected units in the Department of Defense,” Stalder said. ‘‘... and I am constantly told by people, whom I don’t know and don’t know me but know all about CBIRF, what a great job you all do.”

In taking command, Pollock noted that CBIRF was his ‘‘No. 1 choice” of duty assignments.

He pointed out that after duty in Iraq, where he had seen terror face to face for two-and-a-half years of total tours, he wanted ‘‘to command a unit like this because of the adversaries we face in the world.”

Pollock comes to CBIRF from an assistant chief of staff intelligence assignment with the 2nd Marine Division and a deployment in the Anbar Province of Iraq. A native Californian, he is a 1985 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and received his master’s degree in strategic studies from the Army War College.

Pollack first began his Marine Corps assignments as a signal intelligence ground electronic warfare officer in 1985 and has seen assignments in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Quantico, Va.; Toowoomba Australia, Fort Meade and in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

He is married to Debora and is the father of six children.