Region 3 CO- LtCol. Thomas S. Stephens Jr., USMC

Lieutenant Colonel Stephens was born in Washington D.C. He is a graduate of the University of California at Davis, the University Of Oklahoma College Of Law and The Judge Advocate General’s School, U.S. Army where he earned a B.A., J.D. and LL.M. with a specialty in International and Operational Law. Lieutenant Colonel Stephens enlisted in 1991 and after completing basic training at Paris Island, South Carolina and The School of Infantry he was designated an 0331 (Machine Gunner) and assigned to 1st Bn 1st Marines, Camp Pendleton, California where he deployed as part of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) and participated in the Southwest Asia Ceasefire Campaign. In 1993 Lance Corporal Stephens was selected for the Enlisted Commissioning Program. Upon graduating from Officers Candidate School he was recognized as the Honor Graduate for Leadership and a member of the Commanding Officer’s Honor List and subsequently commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. After finishing The Basic School, Second Lieutenant Stephens was placed on the Commanding General’s Honor Roll and selected for meritorious augmentation and assigned to the Infantry Officers Course. His first assignment as an Infantry Officer was with 1st Bn 2d Marines, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina where he served as a Rifle Platoon Commander, Combined Anti-Armor Team/Heavy Guns Platoon Commander, Executive Officer and Company Commander. While with 1st Bn 2d Marines he deployed and participated in Operations Sea Signal with Joint Task Force 160 in Cuba and later deployed to Okinawa, Japan as part of the Unit Deployment Program.

In 1996 First Lieutenant Stephens was selected to participate in the Law Education Program. Upon graduation from law school in 1999 he was recognized as the outstanding graduate of his class and subsequently sent to the Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island to be certified as a Judge Advocate. Captain Stephens’s next assignment was to Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, Virginia where he served as Trial Counsel, Defense Counsel and Legal Assistance Attorney. In 2002 Captain Stephens was reassigned to Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic, (MARFORLANT), Norfolk Virginia, where he served as Assistant and Deputy Staff Judge Advocate. From 2003 to 2005 Major Stephens served as the Commanding Officer of Headquarters and Service Company, MARFORLANT and Commander of Camp Allen, Norfolk Virginia. In 2005 Major Stephens deployed to serve as the Regimental Judge Advocate with Regimental Combat Team-8 in Fallujah, Iraq. In 2007, Major Stephens was assigned to Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, Camp Lejuene, North Carolina where he served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate and Staff Judge Advocate. In 2009 Lieutenant Colonel Stephens served as the Staff Judge Advocate for Combined Force Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan. In 2010 Lieutenant Colonel Stephens was transferred to U.S. Special Operations Command, Tampa, Florida to serve as Chief, Operational Law and Strategy.

Region 3 - First Sergeant KEVIN E. HART, USMC

First Sergeant Hart graduated from Carbon Hill High School, Carbon Hill, AL in 1988.First Sergeant Hart went to recruit training on September, 13 1988 and graduated from Platoon 2094, Fox Company on December 8, 1988. December 1988 First Sergeant Hart went to Camp Lejeune, NC for Supply Warehouseman school and graduated in March 1989. From March 1989 to February 1992 First Sergeant Hart was stationed with MAG-13, MALS-13 at Yuma, AZ where he was assigned as a warehouseman. During this tour he was assigned as a PMI at the Rifle and Pistol range for 10 months. He was promoted to Cpl in Nov 1991.From February 1992 to February 1995 First Sergeant Hart was stationed with 2D FSSG, 2D Supply BN at Camp Lejeune, NC where he was assigned as a warehouseman and Plt Sgt. During this tour he was also assigned as a Rifle range coach for 6 months. He was promoted to Sgt in Nov 1994.

From February 1995 to February 1998 First Sergeant Hart was assigned to MCB Okinawa, Japan. From February 1995 to November 1996 he was assigned as the NCIOC of the Serve-Mart warehouse. From November 1996 to February 1998 he was assigned as the NCOIC of the Camp Hansen Pistol range. From February 1998 to February 1999 First Sergeant Hart was assigned to 7th Comm BN in Okinawa, Japan as the warehouse chief and platoon sergeant. He was promoted to SSGT in Jan 1999. From March 1999 to March 2004 First Sergeant Hart was assigned to 3D MAW, MWSS-371 in Yuma, AZ where he was assigned as the warehouse chief. During this tour he was assigned as the Career Planner for MWSS-371 and later did a Lateral Move to Career Planner as a primary MOS. He deployed to OIF from February 2003 to September 2003.From March 2004 to June 2007 First Sergeant Hart was assigned to MCB Quantico, MMEA-6 in Quantico, VA where he was assigned as the MMEA-83 Liaison and the Lateral Move Chief. He was promoted to GySgt in July 2004. From June 2007 to April 2008 First Sergeant Hart was assigned to Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC) in Camp Lejeune, NC where he was assigned as the Career Retention Specialist for HQ of MARSOC. From April 2008 to June 2010 First Sergeant Hart was assigned as the Company A First Sergeant, 2D Recon BN. While First Sergeant Hart was assigned with 2D Recon BN he deployed to Afghanistan from May 2009 to Nov 2009. First Sergeant Hart is now assigned as MCESG, Region 3 Headquarters First Sergeant.