The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Colonel Mario Lapaix, United States Marine Corps, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States while serving as the Commanding Officer of the Fourth Civil Affairs Group from October 2005 to October 2007. Assuming a command that was at 50 percent manning strength and with less than 8 months to get the command ready for pre-deployment training and deployment to Iraq, Colonel Lapaix displayed exuberant, dynamic and forward thinking leadership to resolve a monumental personnel shortage issue in order to take the Fourth Civil Affairs Group from less than 80 Marines on hand at his assumption of command in October 2005 to 210 Marines on hand when the Fourth Civil Affairs Group mobilized for pre-deployment training in June 2006. Committed to not only accomplishing the Fourth Civil Affairs Group mission in Iraq, but to providing support to the artillery community and to ensuring the growth and future success of the Fourth Civil Affairs Group; Colonel Lapaix drove the development of a strategic mission and mission essential task lists for the Civil Affairs Groups; provided Marine Forces Reserve with well thought out and researched Courses of Action for the re-staffing and realignment of the inspector and instructor staff at the Civil Affairs Group home training center and captured and incorporated the lessons learned into future deployment training plans for not only the Marine Corps Reserve Civil Affairs Groups, but for the active and reserve artillery communities as well. Colonel Lapaix’s leadership, professionalism and steadfast devotion to duty reflected great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Legion of Merit to Colonel Mario Lapaix, United States Marine Corps, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as the first Deputy Chief of Staff and the first Chief of Staff United States Marine Corps Forces Africa from November 2007 to August 2010. Colonel Lapaix’s superior leadership and managerial acumen materially contributed to the successful stand-up and activation of United States Marine Corps Forces Africa as a fully operational Marine component to the newly established United States Africa Command. Colonel Lapaix’s personal efforts were instrumental in posturing a small, newly forced, and undermanned staff to assume and sustain all Marine Corps equities on the continent of Africa to include Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa and Operation ENDURING FREEDOM Trans-Sahara. Additionally, Colonel Lapaix was a key enabler in the expansion of Marine Corps Forces Africa participation, programs and initiatives such as Africa Partnership Station, the Military Intelligence Basic Officers Course Africa, Partnership for Integrated Logistics Operations and Tactics, and Liberia Security and Defense Sector Reform that led to an unprecedented increase in capacity and relationship building events. Under Colonel Lapaix’s leadership, Marine Corps Forces Africa as United States Africa Command’s smallest component annually conducted the two largest Joint Chief of Staff Exercises, “Africa Lion” and “Shared Accord” on behalf of the combatant commander. Colonel Lapaix’s time and attention has been devoted with equal passion and impact to the largest issues of strategic importance down to the smallest detail of individual Marines. Colonel Lapaix’s dynamic direction, keen judgment, and inspiring devotion to duty reflected great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.