Marine Corps Col. Mark Bortnem, the commander at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort at the time, speaks in October 2023 at a ceremony at the South Carolina base. (Nathan Saucier/U.S. Marine Corps)

The commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort was ousted due to “loss of trust and confidence” in his ability to lead the historic South Carolina base, the service confirmed Wednesday.

Col. Mark Bortnem was relieved Monday of his command, a position he has held since July 2023. Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort supports operations for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, attached II Marine Expeditionary Force units, and Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and the greater eastern recruiting region.

A spokesperson for Marine Corps Installations East declined to comment on whether Bortnem was fired due to a criminal investigation, professional misconduct, or poor performance, only stating there are no further details available at this time. The U.S. military routinely cites only a vague “loss of confidence” when removing commanders and other leaders from positions of authority.

Bortnem has been reassigned to Parris Island. The air station’s headquarters and headquarters squadron executive officer, Lt. Col. Michael Eubanks, will serve as acting commander until one is formally appointed. As of Wednesday, Bortnem’s biography had been removed from the air station leadership webpage.

An F-18 fighter jet pilot, Bortnem enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1991 and later commissioned as an officer in 1998, according to a Marine Corps video shared to the service’s social media. He was recognized in 2024 by the South Carolina General Assembly for his “many years of distinguished service” that include more than 3,000 flight hours and 500 combat hours that span past deployments to Iraq, Kuwait and Japan.