Marine rapid-reaction unit commander relieved of duties

The Marine Corps relieved the commander of one of its premier expeditionary units, saying the officer had lost the confidence of his commanding general.

The dismissal is the latest in a string of officers who have been relieved of command, according to the Marine Corps Times.

The Marine Corps said it had relieved Col. James Christmas as the commander of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit Thursday.

Christmas was relieved by Maj. Gen. Ray Fox, commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force, which is based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.. No details were released about what led to the decision.

The unit had recently been part of a new force based in Europe established after the attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including the ambassador. The force can deploy quickly to emergencies in North Africa. USA TODAY first reported on the Marine force in June.

Getting dismissed from a command job is not disciplinary, but it typically marks the end of a career. Commanders go through a rigorous screening process before being selected for the jobs.

At least six other Marine commanders have been relieved since March, according to Marine Corps Times.