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Highest-ranking Latino woman assumes command of Marine Corp Recruiting Depot
By: PHILIP K. IRELAND - Staff Writer | ∞
Brig. Gen. Angela Salinas gives a speech Friday during the Change of Command Ceremony at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. Maj. Gen. John Paxton relinquished command to Salinas for MCRD San Diego and the Western Recruiting Region.
J. KAT WORONOWICZ For the North County Times
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SAN DIEGO ---- With a ceremonial passing of the organizational colors, Brig. Gen. Angela Salinas, the highest-ranking Latino woman in the Marines, accepted command of the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot in San Diego on Friday.
Salinas will oversee the training of more than 18,000 Marine recruits each year. She will direct more than 1,600 Marine recruiters west of the Mississippi River as commander of the Western Recruiting Region. She will be responsible for more than 3,000 Marines, sailors, civilians and Coast Guardsmen on the base.
The diminutive Salinas ---- just over 5 feet tall ---- accepted command of the Marine Corps' West Coast recruit induction center on the parade grounds in front of Pendleton Hall in a 90-minute ceremony.
She replaces Maj. Gen. John M. Paxton Jr., who will soon take command of Camp Pendleton and the Ist Marine Expeditionary Force.
Paxton lauded Salinas as an able leader as he congratulated her on her new post.
"The Marine Corps has the foresight to put round pegs in round holes and give the awesome mantle of responsibility for leadership to the right person, and they have done so in Angie Salinas," Paxton told the audience.
Michael W. Hagee, commandant of the Marine Corps, sent Salinas a message that was read by an announcer over the loud speaker.
"Your wealth of experience makes you ideally suited to take the helm as commanding general," he said.
Salinas, 53, was the Marine Corps' first Latino woman selected to the rank of brigadier general, according to military officials.
Salinas thanked her superiors for their trust, saying that she looked forward to assuming the helm of the base.
"We will continue to attack the mission," she vowed.
Salinas punctuated her acceptance speech with humor as she thanked her "unusual family" for their continued support.
Paxton, Salinas said, is a tall man with big shoes ---- shoes she will endeavor to fill as she assumes his post.
"I'd like to think that someday I could stand as tall as you," she told Paxton.
"The guys up the road are getting a great man."
A 32-year Marine, Salinas remembered the day in 1974 when she enlisted in the Marine Corps at a post office in San Rafael. She wondered aloud if the recruiter had any inkling then that he was enlisting a future commander of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot.
She wondered the same of the "nice drill instructor" at Parris Island, S.C., where she took her basic training.
A graduate of Dominican College in San Rafael, Salinas majored in history. She earned a master's degree from the Navy War College in 1992 and is a graduate of the Amphibious Warfare School, the Navy War College's Command and Staff College and the Army War College.
Her decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with a gold star and the Meritorious Service Medal with two gold stars.
In June 1989, Salinas assumed command of the recruiting station in Charleston, S.C., and became the first woman in the Marine Corps to command a recruiting station, according to the Marine Corps.
In June 1992, she became the first woman assigned as a combat service support ground monitor responsible for the assignments of more than 1,000 senior officers. She was the first female assigned as a plans and policy officer for a major combatant command in 1999, and in May 2001 when she assumed command of the 12th Marine Corps District. She has been named one of the top 100 most influential Latinos in the country, and one of 80 most elite women, according to the Marine Corps.
Contact staff writer Philip K. Ireland at (760) 901-4043 or pireland@nctimes.com.
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Zeke wrote on Aug 5, 2006 9:49 AM:Total crap!! more bull from the Marine Corps PR dept this woman has no place in MALE recurit training!! change the name from marine corps to the girl scouts.
Well This is a Bit Different! wrote on Aug 5, 2006 10:05 AM:Congratulations BG Salinas you sound like a squared away Marine! All the best to you. Semper Fi, USMCDad, San Diego
Proud wrote on Aug 5, 2006 12:49 PM:To Zeke, My guess from her resume is that this woman has done things many men could never have done. Any Marine who gets this far should be commended, no matter his or her gender or race. You think she hasn't been in charge of men who think as little of her as you do? Bet she has. Looks like in each of those cases, she won out. Congrats, Gen. Salinas. North County is behind you. Continue to do us proud.
Jack's View wrote on Aug 5, 2006 2:39 PM:Sorry, just can't buy it! AND how many times has she been in a war zone, taking and giving fire and leading troops? Yes, I beleive there's a place for women in the military! Just not commanding MEN! Let's, just for once, be honest! She got the rank because she is a woman and a hispanic! It looks good to the military that they promote women minorities, but the sad fact is a much better capable MAN was passed over to promote this woman for Public Relations. Can't we all just be honest here!
Pete Nice wrote on Aug 7, 2006 9:28 AM:Let's go with the best person for the job & it looks like Ms. Salinas is the best person for the job. Congratulations & keep our boys in shape out there!!
Phil wrote on Aug 8, 2006 9:41 AM:Women have a place in my Marine Corps; but leading or training men in combat is not one of them. Chesty Puller had the right ideas about women in the Marine Corps (BAMs)and beer machines. Semper Fi!
1stSgt Thornton wrote on Mar 5, 2007 11:35 AM:Having had the pleasure of serving for BGen Salinas when she was the Commanding Officer of the 12th Marine Corps District, I cannot think of a better selection and a more qualified Marine Corps Officer to take command. She is an outstanding officer and a true Marines, Marine. Congratulations General, We of the JROTC staff are proud of you.
Pfft....get over it! wrote on Oct 27, 2007 10:32 PM:Zeke and Jack - I hope you have been reading up on what is going on in today's military and realize how sorely mistaken you are when you say women are not taking fire and dishing it right back out again...do yourself a favor - and get educated. Here's a website for anyone that is curious about what women do in today's Armed Forces. And don't stop at the index, scroll down the page and check out our female military powerhouse: http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/index.html BGen Salinas was not the 1st and will most definitely not be the last woman named to such an honorable position.
former JARHEAD wrote on Nov 15, 2007 9:44 PM:Women have no place leading troops. 3/4 of the "WM"s can even hang on a squadron run...sad to say that most of them are E-5+ rank!
Me wrote on Jul 13, 2008 4:55 PM:I can not believe that there are people out there that have these feelings about women leading male Marines. They have a place like anyone else does. And many of you ignorant people out there that make these comments need to read her biography. The Marine Corps and the US military as a whole understand that there are physical differences in men and women. She has held billets that require a leader (maybe not in combat, but a LEADER). Leadership has nother to do with what gender you are... And I will tell you ignorant ones out there that if you were in my unit and I found out you had issues like this, you would definitely be answering to me and you wouldn't like it at all... Hoorah!!
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