MCAS Yuma holds relief ceremony as new sergeant major takes command

The sergeant major at MCAS Yuma does more than advise on uniforms and discipline. The post helps steer the enlisted side of a base that provides aviation support, force protection, infrastructure and community services for I Marine Expeditionary Force and other tenant commands, making the job felt well beyond the fence line in Yuma County.

Marine Corps Air Station Yuma held a relief and appointment ceremony on April 10, 2026, formally transferring authority, accountability and responsibility from Sgt. Maj. Jason A. Davey to Sgt. Maj. Luis A. Galvez. Marines from Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron marched in formation as the station marked the change in senior enlisted leadership, with Col. Jared K. Stone, the commanding officer, taking part in the ceremony.

Images from the event show Galvez speaking to the formation and, in another frame, Davey, Galvez and Stone rendering a salute together. The photos were taken by Lance Cpl. Alexandria Serrano and posted the same day. A related video package, credited to Cpl. Christopher J. Castro, underscored the ceremony’s purpose as a public transfer of responsibility inside the chain of command.

For Yuma residents, the change matters because the sergeant major is one of the Marines most closely tied to day-to-day unit standards, morale and enlisted welfare. That makes the position important when the station is balancing training demands with the practical concerns that spill into the community, including base activity, public events and the steady relationship between MCAS Yuma and local partners.

Galvez arrives with a long Marine Corps record. His official biography says he enlisted in 1998 at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and later served in multiple engineer and infantry-support assignments, including deployments tied to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan. He was promoted to sergeant major in October 2019 and had been assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron at MCAS Yuma.

The appointment also reflects continuity at a station that plays a major role in the region’s military and economic life. As the senior enlisted advisor to Stone, Galvez will help shape how the station communicates with Marines, families and the surrounding community in the year ahead, from quality-of-life concerns on base to the public-facing work that keeps MCAS Yuma connected to Yuma County.