Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps

Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps
Emblem of the Marine Corps
Flag of a Marine Corps general
Incumbent General Christopher J. Mahoney since November 3, 2023
Abbreviation	ACMC
Reports to	Commandant of the Marine Corps
Appointer	President with Senate advice and consent
Formation	April 29, 1911
First holder	Eli K. Cole

The assistant commandant of the Marine Corps (ACMC) is the second highest-ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps, and serves as a deputy for the commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC). Before 1946, the title was known as the assistant to the commandant.

The assistant commandant is nominated for appointment by the president and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate. If the commandant is absent or is unable to perform his duties, then the assistant commandant assumes the duties and responsibilities of the commandant. For this reason, the assistant commandant is appointed to a rank equal to the sitting commandant; since 1971, each assistant commandant has been, by statute, a four-star general, making it the most common rank held among marines serving this position. Additionally, he may perform other duties that the CMC assigns to him. Historically, the assistant commandant has served for two to three years. In recent decades, the assistant commandant has frequently been a Marine aviator. James F. Amos is the first aviator to serve as the assistant commandant and then be promoted to commandant.

The first marine to hold the billet as the "assistant to the commandant" was Eli K. Cole (Allen H. Turnage being the last), while Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr. was the first to hold it as the "assistant commandant".

List of appointees

Assistants to the commandant of the Marine Corps

Before the official title of "Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps" was adopted in 1946, the title of the position was known as "Assistant to the Commandant" and before 1918, known only as "Duty in the Office of the Commandant". No records exist before the outbreak of World War I about this position, possibly because the Commandant likely had only administrative staff and no deputy.

The first assistant to the commandant was Lieutenant Colonel (from 1914 Colonel) Eli K. Cole, who assumed the position on April 29, 1911. From April 29, 1911, to October 16, 1946, 19 men were assigned to assist the commandant, including five who later became commandant: John A. Lejeune, Wendell C. Neville, Ben H. Fuller, John H. Russell Jr., and Alexander A. Vandegrift.

No.	Portrait	Assistant to the Commandant of the Marine Corps	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Colonel Eli K. Cole (1867–1929)	April 29, 1911	January 1, 1915	3 years, 247 days
2		Brigadier General John A. Lejeune (1867–1942)	January 1, 1915	September 10, 1917	2 years, 252 days
3		Brigadier General Charles G. Long (1869–1943)	September 11, 1917	August 13, 1920	2 years, 337 days
4		Brigadier General Wendell Cushing Neville (1870–1930)	August 14, 1920	July 11, 1923	2 years, 331 days
5		Major General Logan Feland (1869–1936)	July 13, 1923	July 31, 1925	2 years, 18 days
6		Brigadier General Dion Williams (1869–1952)	August 1, 1925	July 1, 1928	2 years, 335 days
7		Brigadier General Ben Hebard Fuller (1870–1937)	July 2, 1928	July 8, 1930	2 years, 6 days
8		Brigadier General John Twiggs Myers (1871–1952)	August 1, 1930	February 1, 1933	2 years, 184 days
9		Brigadier General John H. Russell Jr. (1872–1947)	February 1, 1933	February 28, 1934	1 year, 27 days
10		Brigadier General Douglas C. McDougal (1876–1964)	April 8, 1934	April 22, 1935	1 year, 14 days
11		Brigadier General Louis M. Little (1878–1960)	April 22, 1935	May 6, 1937	2 years, 14 days
12		Brigadier General Holland Smith (1882–1967)	April 1, 1939	September 25, 1939	177 days
13		Brigadier General Alexander Vandegrift (1887–1973)	March 1, 1940	November 18, 1941	1 year, 262 days
14		Brigadier General Charles D. Barrett (1885–1943)	November 19, 1941	March 12, 1942	113 days
15		Brigadier General Ralph S. Keyser (1883–1955)	March 28, 1942	May 24, 1942	57 days
16		Major General Harry Schmidt (1886–1968)	May 25, 1942	August 1, 1943	1 year, 68 days
17		Major General Keller E. Rockey (1888–1970)	August 2, 1943	January 17, 1944	168 days
18		Major General Dewitt Peck (1894–1973)	January 20, 1944	July 30, 1945	1 year, 191 days
19		Major General Allen H. Turnage (1891–1971)	September 1, 1945	October 16, 1946	1 year, 45 days

Assistant commandants of the Marine Corps

In 1946, Congress established the position of "assistant commandant of the Marine Corps" and since then, 31 men have held the position. Major General Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr. was the first to hold the billet and went on to become commandant, as well as six others: Randolph M. Pate, Leonard F. Chapman Jr., Robert H. Barrow, Paul X. Kelley, James F. Amos and Joseph Dunford.

As with the commandant, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps is appointed by the president based on advice and consent of the Senate and, once appointed, will be promoted to the grade of general. The duties of the assistant commandant include such authority and duties as the commandant – and with the approval of the secretary of the Navy – may delegate to or prescribe for him. Orders issued by the assistant commandant in performing such duties have the same effect as those issued by the commandant. When there is a vacancy in the office of the commandant of the Marine Corps, or during the absence or disability of the commandant, the assistant commandant shall perform the duties of the commandant until a successor is appointed or the absence or disability ceases.

No.	Portrait	Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Major General Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr. (1896–1990)	October 7, 1946	April 14, 1948	1 year, 190 days
2		Major General Oliver P. Smith (1893–1977)	April 15, 1948	July 19, 1950	2 years, 95 days
3		Lieutenant General Merwin H. Silverthorn (1896–1985)	July 19, 1950	February 1, 1952	1 year, 197 days
4		Lieutenant General Gerald C. Thomas (1894–1984)	March 8, 1952	July 1, 1954	2 years, 115 days
5		Lieutenant General Randolph M. Pate (1898–1961)	July 1, 1954	December 31, 1955	1 year, 183 days
6		Lieutenant General Vernon E. Megee (1900–1992)	January 1, 1956	November 30, 1957	1 year, 333 days
7		Lieutenant General Verne J. McCaul (1903–1968)	December 1, 1957	December 31, 1959	2 years, 30 days
8		Lieutenant General John C. Munn (1906–1986)	January 1, 1960	March 31, 1963	3 years, 89 days
9		Lieutenant General Charles H. Hayes (1906–1995)	April 1, 1963	June 30, 1965	2 years, 90 days
10		Lieutenant General Richard C. Mangrum (1906–1985)	July 1, 1965	June 30, 1967	1 year, 364 days
11		Lieutenant General Leonard F. Chapman Jr. (1913–2000)	July 1, 1967	December 31, 1967	183 days
12		General Lewis William Walt (1913–1989)	January 1, 1968	January 29, 1971	3 years, 28 days
13		General Keith B. McCutcheon (1915–1971)	January 30, 1971	March 11, 1971	40 days
14		General Raymond G. Davis (1915–2003)	March 12, 1971	March 30, 1972	1 year, 18 days
15		General Earl E. Anderson (1919–2015)	March 12, 1971	March 30, 1972	1 year, 18 days
16		General Samuel Jaskilka (1919–2012)	July 1, 1975	June 30, 1978	2 years, 364 days
17		General Robert H. Barrow (1922–2008)	July 1, 1978	July 30, 1979	1 year, 29 days
18		General Kenneth McLennan (1925–2005)	July 1, 1979	July 30, 1981	2 years, 29 days
19		General Paul X. Kelley (1928–2019)	July 1, 1981	June 30, 1983	1 year, 364 days
20		General John K. Davis (1927–2019)	July 1, 1983	May 31, 1986	2 years, 334 days
21		General Thomas R. Morgan (born 1930)	June 1, 1986	June 30, 1988	2 years, 29 days
22		General Joseph J. Went (born 1930)	July 1, 1988	July 31, 1990	2 years, 30 days
23		General John R. Dailey (born 1934)	August 1, 1990	August 31, 1992	2 years, 30 days
24		General Walter E. Boomer (born 1938)	September 1, 1992	July 14, 1994	1 year, 316 days
25		General Richard D. Hearney (born 1939)	July 15, 1994	September 26, 1996	2 years, 73 days
26		General Richard I. Neal (1942–2022)	September 27, 1996	September 4, 1998	1 year, 342 days
27		General Terrence R. Dake (born 1944)	September 5, 1998	September 7, 2000	2 years, 2 days
28		General Michael J. Williams (born 1943)	September 8, 2000	September 9, 2002	2 years, 1 day
29		General William L. Nyland (born 1946)	September 10, 2002	September 7, 2005	2 years, 362 days
30		General Robert Magnus (born 1947)	September 8, 2005	July 2, 2008	2 years, 298 days
31		General James F. Amos (born 1946)	July 3, 2008	October 22, 2010	2 years, 111 days
32		General Joseph F. Dunford Jr. (born 1955)	October 23, 2010	December 15, 2012	2 years, 53 days
33		General John M. Paxton Jr. (born 1951)	December 15, 2012	August 2, 2016	3 years, 231 days
34		General Glenn M. Walters (born 1957)	August 2, 2016	October 2, 2018	2 years, 61 days
35		General Gary L. Thomas (born 1962)	October 4, 2018	October 7, 2021	3 years, 3 days
36		General Eric M. Smith (born 1965)	October 8, 2021	September 22, 2023	1 year, 350 days
37		General Christopher J. Mahoney	November 3, 2023	Incumbent	59 days

Timeline

See also

• Military Secretary to the Commandant of the Marine Corps
• Commandant of the Marine Corps
• Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
• Vice Chief of Staff of the Army
• Vice Chief of Naval Operations
• Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force
• Vice Chief of Space Operations
• Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard