U.S. MARINES COMMANDER LOSES POST

DARWIN The commander of more than 1,500 U.S. Marines in northern Australia was relieved of his duties after police caught him driving under the influence of alcohol, the Marine Corps said.

Col. James Schnelle, 48, pleaded guilty in the Darwin Local Court on Monday to driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.102 per cent after his breath was tested by police in the early hours of Sept. 30. The reading was more than double the legal limit in Australia of 0.05 per cent.

The commander of the Marine Rotational Force in Darwin was “relieved of his duties on Sept. 30 due to a loss of trust and confidence,” U.S. Marines First Lt. David Mancilla said.