[AT YOUR SERVICE]

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Lt. Gen. Earl Hailston, far left, the top U.S. military
commander in Okinawa, other U.S. military officers
and Okinawa Gov. Keiichi Inamine, far right, gathered
at the table during a July 27 meeting at Camp Zukeran
in Kitanakagusuku on Okinawa, southern Japan.
Inamine asked Hailston for a midnight curfew to
be imposed on U.S. servicemen in Okinawa in
protest at recent crimes allegedly committed
by U.S. military personnel.

Hailston takes
over command of
Marine forces
in the Pacific

His brusque remarks ruffled
quite a few feathers in Okinawa

AT YOUR SERVICE

---

By Jean Christensen
Associated Press

The general who recently served as head of U.S. Marine forces in Okinawa, Japan, took command Friday of all Marine forces in the Pacific.

Lt. Gen. Earl B. Hailston replaced the retiring Lt. Gen. Frank Libutti as commander of Marine Forces Pacific in a ceremony at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe.

Hailston, 54, was commanding general of the Okinawa-based III Marine Expeditionary Force until he relinquished that command to Maj. Gen. Wallace Gregson at the end of last month.

The Utica, N.Y.-born Hailston had served in the Okinawa command since June 1999, and before that was the U.S. Pacific Command's director of strategic plans and policy.

In February, Hailston apologized following reports that he wrote an e-mail calling Okinawa leaders "wimps" and "nuts" when they complained about U.S. military conduct on the island.

Marine Corps officials called the remarks regrettable, but defended Hailston as a tireless worker who tried to ensure his forces were good neighbors on the island.

As head of Marine Forces Pacific based at Camp H.M. Smith, Hailston will oversee the largest field command in the Marine Corps, one that includes nearly 80,000 Marines and sailors from the West Coast to the Persian Gulf.

His appointment was confirmed Aug. 3 by the U.S. Senate.

Libutti, a native of Huntington, N.Y., had served in the post since June 1999.

A Marine since 1967, Hailston was assigned to the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam in 1969.

After a series of assignments in the United States, Japan and South Korea, he was promoted to brigadier general in 1994 and was assigned as the commanding general of 3rd Force Service Support Group in Okinawa. In 1996, he became assistant deputy chief of staff for installations and logistics at Marine Corps headquarters in Washington.

Hailston's decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star.