Viewfinder: Stripes! Local Promoted to Colonel — In His Home!

Marc Anthony Garcia, the son of locals Yolande and Carlos Garcia, was promoted to colonel in a unique ceremony on Saturday in his family home on Carlton Avenue.

Typically, such rituals are carried out at military bases, but Marc Anthony Garcia suggested doing it at his home in historic Fort Greene — the site of a former military base, Fort Putnam, during the Revolutionary War.

"[My home] fit the criteria because it was in Fort Greene — with General Greene and George Washington — it had the military touch in terms of history," said Col. Marc Anthony Garcia. "From an historic perspective it was great. As senior officers we study military history."

By all accounts, having the ceremony at the elegant brownstone between Willoughby and DeKalb avenues was a great idea.

"General Cornelius said it was the first time he'd done [the ceremony] outside of a military base," said Yolande Garcia. "It was beatuful, really gorgeous. I felt great that my son had accomplished a lot."

Marc Anthony Garcia added that it felt good to "return to his roots" in the neighborhood. But on Thursday he was back at work for the State Department as a Supervisory Special Agent in Miami, specializing in passport and Visa fraud.

"We're serving some warrants tonight, I'm trying to get some rest," he said.

Check out our photographer's photos of the big moment.