USMC: St. Clair to direct Parris Island recruit training
Col. Matthew St. Clair took command of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island’s Recruit Training Regiment on Wednesday.
The regiment’s previous commander, Col. Paul D. Cucinotta, was relieved of command earlier this month after the death of recruit Raheel Siddiqui in March.
St. Clair, a Baltimore native and 1989 Virginia Military Institute graduate, comes to the depot from the U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, Va., where he served as the fleet Marine officer to the commander.
He’s served on Parris Island before, from July 1999 to June 2002, as a battalion executive officer for 2nd Recruit Training Battalion and director of the Drill Instructor School.
In July 2003, he was assigned to the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Anti-Terrorism), II Marine Expeditionary Force, with which he deployed in 2004 as commander of an anti-terrorism task force at the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.
He also led an adviser support team to Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004-05, and one to Baghdad, Iraq in 2005, serving as the senior adviser to two Iraqi infantry battalions.
He has been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with gold star, Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with two gold stars, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with one gold star, and the Combat Action Ribbon.
Col. St. Clair is married.
Wade Livingston: 843-706-8153, @WadeGLivingston
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This story was originally published June 15, 2016 at 5:22 PM with the headline "USMC: St. Clair to direct Parris Island recruit training."