Published September 08, 2017
By : Lango Deen
Marine Corps general Loretta Reynolds, shown here presenting an award to a marine sergeant at a recent Women of Color STEM Conference, assumed command of Marine Corps Cyberspace Command at Fort Meade, Maryland, in September 2015.
The Marine Corps Cyberspace Warfare Group's mission is to man, train and equip Marine Cyberspace mission teams to perform both defensive and offensive cyber operations in support of United States Cyber Command and Marine Forces Cyberspace Command.
As a communications officer, Reynolds was initially assigned to Communications Company, Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California. She was commissioned by the Marine Corps in May 1986 as a recent graduate of the United States Naval Academy.
In September 1995, Reynolds returned to Camp Pendleton to serve with the 9th Communication Battalion, 1st Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Intelligence Group. While there, she served as Assistant Operations Officer and Commanding Officer, Bravo Company.
On June 8, 2003, Reynolds assumed command of the 9th Communication Battalion. She deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom to Fallujah, Iraq, in February 2004 and returned to the United States in March 2005. Reynolds later attended the U.S. Army War College and graduated in 2006.
In March 2009, Reynolds assumed command of the I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group at Camp Pendleton. She deployed the group to Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan from March 2010 to March 2011, where the group supported the efforts of I Marine Expeditionary Force FWD/Regional Command Southwest in Helmand Province. In 2011 she took charge of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island.
When Gen. Reynolds took command of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island, S.C., she became the first woman commanding general in the history of the depot. While serving a tour of duty at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, Reynolds became the "first female Marine to command battle space."
She was nominated for appointment to the rank of major general in 2016.
