Maj. Gen. Kyle Ellison gives his first speech as 3rd Marine Division commander during a ceremony at the Butler Officers’ Club on Camp Foster, Okinawa, July 30, 2025. (Alexander Devereux/U.S. Marine Corps)
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — An infantry officer who led troops during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars has returned to Okinawa to lead the Marine Corps’ infantry division in the Indo-Pacific.
Maj. Gen. Kyle Ellison assumed command of the 3rd Marine Division from Maj. Gen. Christian Wortman during a ceremony Wednesday at the Butler Officers’ Club on Foster, according to a news release and photos from the division that day. The ceremony was not open to media.
The division, headquartered at Camp Courtney, provides the infantry component of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, which also includes the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and the 3rd Marine Logistics Group. III MEF commander Lt. Gen. Roger Turner presided over the ceremony.
Wortman, of Pennsylvania, took command of the division in 2023 and oversaw changes under the Marine Corps’ Force Design plan, which aims to reshape the service to defend island battlefields in the Indo-Pacific and counter China more effectively.
“Together, we have embraced modernization, successfully deployed critical new capabilities, and built readiness for wide-ranging Indo-Pacific operational responsibilities,” he said in the release. “This assignment was another powerful reminder of the incredible capability, dedication and professionalism of our young Marines and sailors.”
Lt. Gen. Roger Turner, commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force, speaks during the change-of-command ceremony for the 3rd Marine Division at the Butler Officers’ Club on Camp Foster, Okinawa, July 30, 2025. (Alexander Devereux/U.S. Marine Corps)
In November 2023, the Marine Corps redesignated the division’s 12th Marine Regiment as the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment. A littoral regiment — about 2,000 Marines — is a mobile unit inserted within range of enemy fire, including missiles, to seize and hold key islands and deny enemy vessels access to surrounding seas.
The regiment made its operational debut during last year’s Resolute Dragon joint exercise, deploying the AN/TPS-80 air-defense radar system for the first time to Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost island, 67 miles east of Taiwan.
The division’s other littoral regiment, the 3rd Littoral Regiment, in April deployed for the first time the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or NMESIS, and the Marine Air Defense Integrated System, or MADIS, during the Balikatan exercise in the Philippines.
The division also received 12 amphibious combat vehicles in July 2024. In December, the 4th Marine Regiment made the first open-water transit at Kushi Crossing on Okinawa using the armored personnel carriers designed to move troops from ship to shore.
Ellison, also of Pennsylvania, previously served as deputy director for current and integrated operations for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. He was commander of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade and deputy commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force from 2020 to 2022.
“I look forward to working alongside these dedicated Marines and sailors continuing our modernization efforts and strengthening our partnerships throughout the Indo-Pacific,” Ellison said in the release. “We will remain focused on maintaining a high state of readiness, embracing innovation, and ensuring we are prepared to answer our nation’s call.”
The division acknowledged email and phone inquiries on Wednesday but did not immediately provide responses.
