Bolden assumes command of VMU-2

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. – Lt. Col. Ché Bolden assumed command of Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 from Lt. Col. Mikel Huber during a ceremony at the squadron’s hangar aboard the air station Nov. 16.

Huber will move on to join the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s operations section.

Huber’s final mission, a personal mission, was to see all his Marines and Sailors return home from their deployment to Afghanistan before he stepped down as the squadron commanding officer.
More than 50 Marines with the squadron returned from Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan, after a 6-month combat deployment Nov. 15, making Huber’s mission a success.

“I am happy to have the squadron home before the change over,” said Huber. “The Marines have performed phenomenally, and I could not be happier with their performance while deployed and while in garrison.”

While deployed, the squadron split into multiple detachments forward operating bases and patrol bases throughout the area of operations to provide reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition using the RQ-7B Shadow, an unmanned aircraft.
With the squadron home, Huber can say his farewells to the squadron and welcome in an old friend, Bolden.

“Huber and I went to the Naval Academy together, and we were in flight school around the same time,” said Bolden. “We have known each other for our entire careers. It feels good to be taking over after him.”

Bolden comes to the squadron from the Pentagon where he worked with plans, policies and operations for the International Affairs Branch.

Bolden will now take over to lead more than 200 Marines and Sailors and three Shadow aircraft systems, each comprised of four individual aircraft.

“This squadron is small but it is growing,” said Bolden. “I am looking forward to being a part of the unmanned aerial community while it grows.”

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