University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) will hold its Okinawa commencement ceremony at the Yomitan Cultural Center on Saturday, April 13. Chief of Staff, 3D Marine Division,

III MEF, Colonel Marlin D. Williams, will provide the keynote address.

More than 170 graduates are scheduled to attend the ceremony that will begin at 2 p.m. (Doors open at 1:30 p.m.). James Cronin, Vice President and Director of UMGC’s Asia Division, will preside over the ceremony.

Colonel Williams is a native of Arkansas. He enlisted in the Air Force Reserves in 1991, then completed an inter-service transfer and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1992. In 1994, Colonel Williams was selected for the Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning and Education Program and attended the University of Oklahoma in 1995. He graduated in 1998 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. Upon completion of The Basic School and NFO training, Colonel Williams was designated an NFO in 2000 and reported for Aviation Electronic Warfare School (AVEWS) and EA-6B Fleet Replacement Training in 2000.

In 2001, Colonel Williams served with Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2. He deployed in support of Operations IRAQI FREEDOM (2003) and IRAQI FREEDOM II (2004-2005). He has accumulated nearly 1000 EA-6B flight hours. In 2006, he then underwent pilot transition training and received his second wings of gold in 2009 as a Naval Aviator. He continued training with the Aircrew Training Unit as a KC-130J pilot.

In 2010, Colonel Williams reported for duty with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 in Japan. He deployed in support of Operation Tomodachi. Colonel Williams has accumulated over 750 KC-130J flight hours. In 2013, he reported to Marine Corps University as the Current Operations Officer. In 2014, he reported to Headquarters Marine Corps for duty in the Afghanistan/Pakistan Hands Program. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2014 in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and FREEDOM’S SENTINEL. In 2015, he returned and was assigned at Headquarters, Aviation Department, Aviation Manpower and Support Branch as the Deputy Branch Head.

In 2017, Colonel Williams took command of Marine Aircraft Group 49 Detachment B. After a successful tour, he reported to H&S Bn, HQMC, as a CMC Fellow with USAID. After completion of TLS, he reported to Bahrain as the MARCENT Coordination Element OIC in 2020. He was selected to command Marine Aircraft Group 14 and reported for command in 2020. After a successful tour, Colonel Williams reported to 3d Marine Division in 2022 for duties as the Chief of Staff.

Colonel Williams was selected as the 2005 Marine Corps Aviation Association Naval Flight Officer of the Year. His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (Second Award), Air Medal Single Mission Award with Combat Distinguish Device, Air Medal Strike Flight with Roman Numeral 3, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (Third Award), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal. In 2011, Colonel Williams received a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University and a Master of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College in 2018.

In addition to the ceremony, a post-commencement reception will be held at the same location, beginning about 4 p.m.

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