Commanding Officer, Headquarters Battalion

     Colonel Lee W. Freund

     3D Marine Division

       Colonel Freund graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1976.  Upon completion of The Basic School in 1977, he was assigned to the 3d Marine Division in Okinawa where he served as Weapons Platoon Commander and Executive Officer of Company F, 2d Battalion, 9th Marines.  Returning from Okinawa in 1978, he was assigned to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, where he served as a series officer and the aide-de-camp to the Commanding General.

          In 1981 Captain Freund joined 1st Battalion, 5th Marines at Camp Pendleton where he served as the Commanding Officer of Company B and Headquarters and Service Company.  Transferring to Quantico in 1984 he served at The Basic School and Infantry Officer Course as an instructor, staff platoon commander, company executive officer, company commander, and S-4.

           Major Freund was transferred to Okinawa in 1988 where he was assigned to 3d Landing Support Battalion, 3d Force Service Support Group as the S-4.  He returned to Quantico in 1989 to attend Marine Corps Command and Staff College.  Graduating in 1990, he joined 3d Marines in Kaneohe Bay as the S-4 and deployed to Southwest Asia for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.  In 1991, he joined 3d Battalion, 3d Marines as the Executive Officer, where he completed a Unit Deployment to Okinawa with the battalion in 1992.

           Lieutenant Colonel Freund assumed command of 3d Battalion, 3d Marines in 1993 and completed his second Unit Deployment to Okinawa in 1994.  He reported to the Office of the Department of Defense Inspector General in the fall of 1994.  He attended Top Level School at the U.S. Army War College during 1996-97 where he also earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Shippensburg University.  In August 1997, he was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Expeditionary Warfare Division (N85) where he served as the Deputy, Amphibious Warfare Branch.  Upon his selection for promotion to colonel, he was reassigned in July 1998 as the Ground Colonels Monitor, Officer Assignment Branch, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.  He served in this billet until June 2000 when he was transferred to Okinawa and assigned as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations (G3), III Marine Expeditionary Force.  In June 2001, he assumed duties as Commanding Officer, Headquarters Battalion, Third Marine Division and Camp Commander for Camps Courtney and McTureous.

          Colonel Freund’s awards include the Legion of  Merit, the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon.