Commander of Marine Wounded Warrior Regiment Relieved Over Loss of Confidence
The Marine Corps relieved the commander of its Wounded Warrior unit at Quantico, Va., on Thursday morning. The commander, Col. Shane “Rhino” Tomko, confirmed to relief to me in an e-mail. He took command of the regiment in July 2014. I called the Marine public affairs office at Quantico about this situation when I first ...
The Marine Corps relieved the commander of its Wounded Warrior unit at Quantico, Va., on Thursday morning.
The commander, Col. Shane “Rhino” Tomko, confirmed to relief to me in an e-mail.
He took command of the regiment in July 2014.
The Marine Corps relieved the commander of its Wounded Warrior unit at Quantico, Va., on Thursday morning.
The commander, Col. Shane “Rhino” Tomko, confirmed to relief to me in an e-mail.
He took command of the regiment in July 2014.
I called the Marine public affairs office at Quantico about this situation when I first learned of it on Wednesday. They didn’t call me back. I called them again yesterday and the officer I spoke to, Maj. Rob Doland, e-mailed a statement saying that the action was taken “due to a loss of confidence in his leadership and ability to maintain positive command climate.” It also said that an investigation is continuing.
Anyway, it is a shame to see Col. Tomko’s career end this way. He enlisted in 1983. I first came across him in Haiti in 1995, when his Golf Company got in a short, sharp firefight with Haitian police. I think the swift and controlled response of his Marines made an impression on the Duvalierist dead enders of Cap-Haïtien. Many years later he interviewed me for his master’s thesis. He also spent time at JSOC, working as a planner for Gen. McChrystal and Adm. McRaven.
It sounds to me like he might have been a combat leader peg in the wounded regiment’s round hole. I wish him well.
Meanwhile, something went weird at an exercise in 29 Palms yesterday. I didn’t know you could fit 22 Marines in an AAV.
U.S. Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment
More from Foreign Policy
Stop Falling for Russia’s Delusions of Perpetual Victory
The best sources on the war are the Ukrainians on the ground.
Could Sabotage Stop Putin From Using the Nuclear Option?
If the West is behind mysterious fires in Russia, the ongoing—but deniable—threat could deter Putin from escalating.
While America Slept, China Became Indispensable
Washington has long ignored much of the world. Beijing hasn’t.
The World Ignored Russia’s Delusions. It Shouldn’t Make the Same Mistake With India.
Hindu nationalist ideologues in New Delhi are flirting with a dangerous revisionist history of South Asia.
Sign up for Morning Brief
Foreign Policy’s flagship daily newsletter with what’s coming up around the world today from Foreign Policy’s newsletter writer Colm Quinn.
By signing up, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to occasionally receive special offers from Foreign Policy.