Beaufort Marine airbase commander out for ‘Loss of trust.’ Next stop: Parris Island
The commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, a former combat pilot who took command of the base almost two years ago, has been relieved of duty following one of the air station’s biggest annual events for what a regional headquarters’ spokesman called a “loss of trust.”
Col. Mark Bortnem assumed command from Col. Karl Arbogast in June 2023.
Bortnem was relieved of his duties by Brig. Gen. Ralph J. Rizzo, Jr., commanding general of Marine Corps Installations East (MCIEAST)-Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, said Nat Fahy, a spokesperson for MCIEAST, a Marine Corps regional headquarters in North Carolina to which MCAS Beaufort belongs.
“This decision was made due to a loss of trust and confidence in Bortnem’s ability to command,” Fahy said.
Specific reasons for Bortnem’s removal were not given.
Bortnem is being reassigned to duties as directed at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, the Marine training base in Port Royal located 10 miles south of the Beaufort air station.
Lt. Col Michael Eubanks has been named acting station commander.
All of Bortnem’s information has been taken down from the MCAS Beaufort web site.
1st. Lt. Lyndsay Cribb, a MCAS Beaufort spokesperson, confirmed late Tuesday morning that Bortnem had been relieved of his duties Monday.
Bortnem’s removal came after one of the biggest events of the year at the Beaufort Base, the annual air show featuring the Blue Angels, which draws thousands of spectators.
Bortnem, who grew up in Milford, Michigan, graduated from Ohio State University and the U.S. Air Force’s Air War College. He’s been a Marine for over 30 years, first enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1991. He has served in a wide variety of global locations, including the pacific region, the Middle East, and the Arctic. Bortnem has nearly 3000 flight hours, including more than 500 hours of combat time.
“I’m determined to integrate myself into Team Beaufort and keep this place remaining as the best air station in the Marine Corps, working around the best folks, and with the best Marines,” said Bortnem when he took command.
The air station, known as “Fighter Town East,” is in transition from the F/18 Hornet to the supersonic F-35Bs whose technological advances include improved warfare technology and the capability for vertical landings and short takeoffs from amphibious assault ships.
A highly publicized “mishap” involving one of those stealth F-35B fighter jets occurred Sept. 17, 2023.
After departing from MCAS Beaufort, a pilot was forced to eject during an electrical storm while attempting to land in North Charleston but the jet kept flying for 11 minutes. The lost plane prompted a plea from the Marines to the public to help locate the aircraft, which eventually was found 64 miles away in Williamsburg County, SC. An investigation blamed the pilot for ejecting from a flyable aircraft — “albeit under extremely challenging cognitive and flight conditions.” No punitive actions were recommended. The aircraft was a total loss — $100 million — and the cleanup at the crash site cost $2 million, according to the investigative report.
Last May, MCAS Beaufort welcomed the first three F-5N Tiger IIs as part of a new squadron that is providing simulated air-to-air combat training for the Marine F-35 pilots to prepare them for “the next high fight” with real foreign enemies. It was the first adversary jet fighter squadron based on the East Coast, according to the Marines.
This story was originally published April 15, 2025 at 12:00 PM.
