Camp Pendleton welcomes Pillion as new commander

Lt. Col. Timothy Pillion takes command of the Virginia National Guard's Camp Pendleton Collective Training Center from Lt. Col. Elena Scarbrough during a traditional change of command ceremony June 23, 2016, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Brig. Gen. Walter L. Mercer, the Virginia National Guard Assistant Adjutant General – Army, presided over the exchange of colors that represented the transfer of command from Scarbrough to Pillion.

Pillion most recently served as the deputy commander of the Virginia Beach-based 329th Regional Support Group, and Scarbrough is retiring after more than 20 years of active Army and National Guard service.

Camp Pendleton is a state-owned, 328-acre installation which provides training facilities for National Guard units, as well as all other Department of Defense, active duty and reserve units as well as public safety organizations. It houses the Virginia Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy, the Virginia Air National Guard’s 203rd RED HORSE Squadron, and the Virginia Army National Guard’s 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and Troop C, 2nd Battalion, 183rd Cavalry Regiment.

The post features administrative buildings, conference facilities, barracks, classrooms, dining facilities, a live-fire qualification range and nine different virtual trainers as well as a chapel, fitness center, distance learning center, wooded training areas, helipad, land navigation course, beach and amphibious landing site.

The Clifton Forge-based 29th Division band provided ceremonial music for the event.

The Camp Pendleton-based Commonwealth Youth ChalleNGe program provided a color guard.