Commandant of the Marine Corps
| Commandant of the Marine Corps | |
Incumbent: Gen James F. Amos since: October 22, 2010 |
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| First | Samuel Nicholas |
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| Formation | November 28, 1775de facto, July 12, 1798de jure |
The Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) is normally the highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[1] The CMC reports directly to the United States Secretary of the Navy and is responsible for ensuring the organization, policy, plans, and programs for the Marine Corps as well as advising the President, the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council,[1] the Homeland Security Council,[1] and the Secretary of the Navy on matters involving the Marine Corps. Under the authority of the Secretary of the Navy, the CMC designates Marine personnel and resources to the commanders of Unified Combatant Commands.[2] The commandant performs all other functions prescribed in Section 5043 in Title 10 of the United States Code[3] or delegates those duties and responsibilities to other officers in his administration in his name. As with the other joint chiefs, the Commandant is an administrative position and has no operational command authority over United States Marine Corps forces.
The Commandant is nominated by the President for a four-year term of office and must be confirmed by the Senate.[3] By statute, the Commandant is appointed as a four-star general while serving in office.[3] "The Commandant is directly responsible to the Secretary of the Navy for the total performance of the Marine Corps. This includes the administration, discipline, internal organization, training, requirements, efficiency, and readiness of the service. The Commandant is also responsible for the operation of the Marine Corps material support system."[4] Since 1801, the home of the Commandant has been located in the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. and his main offices are in Arlington, Virginia.
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Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the Commandant are outlined in Title 10, Section 5043 the United States Code[3] and is "Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of the Navy". As stated in the U.S. Code, the Commandant shall preside over the Headquarters, Marine Corps, transmit the plans and recommendations of the Headquarters, Marine Corps, to the Secretary and advise the Secretary with regard to such plans and recommendations, after approval of the plans or recommendations of the Headquarters, Marine Corps, by the Secretary, act as the agent of the Secretary in carrying them into effect, exercise supervision, consistent with the authority assigned to commanders of unified or specified combatant commands under chapter 6 of this title, over such of the members and organizations of the Marine Corps and the Navy as the Secretary determines, perform the duties prescribed for him by section 171 of this title and other provisions of law and perform such other military duties, not otherwise assigned by law, as are assigned to him by the President, the Secretary of Defense, or the Secretary of the Navy.[3]
List of commandants
Thirty-five [5] men have served as the Commandant of the Marine Corps, including the current Commandant James F. Amos. The first Commandant was Samuel Nicholas, who took office as a captain,[5] though there was no office titled "Commandant" at the time, and the Second Continental Congress had authorized that the senior-most Marine could take a rank up to Colonel.[6] The longest-serving was Archibald Henderson, sometimes referred to as the "Grand old man of the Marine Corps" due to his thirty-nine year tenure.[5] In the 236-year history of the United States Marine Corps, only one Commandant has ever been fired from the job: Anthony Gale, as a result of a court-martial in 1820.[5]
| # | Picture | Name | Rank | Start of tenure | End of tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samuel Nicholas | Major | November 28, 1775 | August 27, 1783 | The first de facto Commandant for his role as the senior-most officer of the Continental Marines.[7] | |
| 2 | William W. Burrows | Lieutenant Colonel | July 12, 1798 | March 6, 1804 | The first de jure Commandant, he started many important organizations within the Marine Corps, including the United States Marine Band | |
| 3 | Franklin Wharton | Lieutenant Colonel | March 7, 1804 | September 1, 1818 | The first Commandant to be court-martialed (acquitted) and the first to occupy the Commandant's House at the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. | |
| Archibald Henderson (acting) | Major | September 16, 1818 | March 2, 1819 | Acting Commandant, would later serve as Commandant from 1820 to 1859 | ||
| 4 |
—
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Anthony Gale | Lieutenant Colonel | March 3, 1819 | October 8, 1820 | The second Commandant to be court-martialed and the only Commandant to be fired. Burial location is unknown and no photos have ever been located. |
| 5 | Archibald Henderson | Brevet Brigadier General | October 17, 1820 | January 6, 1859 | The longest-serving Commandant; known as the "Grand old man of the Marine Corps"; known for his role in expanding the Marine Corps' mission to include expeditionary warfare and rapid deployment[8] | |
| 6 | John Harris | Colonel | January 7, 1859 | May 1, 1864 | Commandant during most of the American Civil War | |
| 7 | Jacob Zeilin | Brigadier General | June 10, 1864 | October 31, 1876 | Became the Marine Corps' first general officer, officially approved of the design of the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor as the emblem of the Marine Corps | |
| 8 | Charles G. McCawley | Colonel | November 1, 1876 | January 29, 1891 | Chose "Semper Fidelis", Latin for "Always Faithful", as the official Marine Corps motto | |
| 9 | Charles Heywood | Major General | June 30, 1891 | October 2, 1903 | Was the first Marine to hold the rank of Major General | |
| 10 | George F. Elliott | Major General | October 3, 1903 | November 30, 1910 | Successfully resisted attempts to remove seagoing Marines from capital ships and to merge the Corps into the United States Army | |
| 11 | William P. Biddle | Major General | February 3, 1911 | February 24, 1914 | Established the Advanced Base Force, forerunner of today's Fleet Marine Force | |
| 12 | George Barnett | Major General | February 25, 1914 | June 30, 1920 | Served as Commandant during World War I, which caused a huge increase in personnel during his term | |
| 13 | John A. Lejeune | Major General | July 1, 1920 | March 4, 1929 | Started the tradition of the birthday ball with Marine Corps Order 47, still read annually | |
| 14 | Wendell C. Neville | Major General | March 5, 1929 | July 8, 1930 | Recipient of the Medal of Honor and Marine Corps Brevet Medal | |
| 15 | Ben H. Fuller | Major General | July 9, 1930 | February 28, 1933 | Consolidated the Fleet Marine Force concept | |
| 16 | John H. Russell, Jr. | Major General | March 1, 1934 | November 30, 1936 | The system of seniority promotions of officers was changed to advancement by selection, the 1st Marine Brigade was withdrawn from Haiti, and the number of ships carrying Marine detachments continued to increase. | |
| 17 | Thomas Holcomb | Lieutenant General | December 1, 1936 | December 31, 1943 | Expanded the Corps almost 20 times in size for World War II and integrated women into the Corps. The first Marine to be advanced (after retirement) to the rank of General | |
| 18 | Alexander A. Vandegrift | General | January 1, 1944 | December 31, 1947 | Recipient of the Medal of Honor. Was the first active duty Marine to hold the rank of General, resisted attempts to merge the Corps with the Army | |
| 19 | Clifton B. Cates | General | January 1, 1948 | December 31, 1951 | Recipient of the Navy Cross | |
| 20 | Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. | General | January 1, 1952 | December 31, 1955 | First Commandant to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff | |
| 21 | Randolph M. Pate | General | January 1, 1956 | December 31, 1959 | ||
| 22 | David M. Shoup | General | January 1, 1960 | December 31, 1963 | Recipient of the Medal of Honor | |
| 23 | Wallace M. Greene, Jr. | General | January 1, 1964 | December 31, 1967 | Oversaw the proliferation of the Corps in the Vietnam War | |
| 24 | Leonard F. Chapman, Jr. | General | January 1, 1968 | December 31, 1971 | Was the Commandant during the Vietnam War | |
| 25 | Robert E. Cushman, Jr. | General | January 1, 1972 | June 30, 1975 | Saw the last of the Marines leave Vietnam and the peacetime strength fall to 194,000 while still maintaining readiness | |
| 26 | Louis H. Wilson, Jr. | General | July 1, 1975 | June 30, 1979 | Recipient of the Medal of Honor | |
| 27 | Robert H. Barrow | General | July 1, 1979 | June 30, 1983 | Was the first Commandant to serve a regular four-year tour as a full member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acquired approval of production of the American-modified Harrier aircraft, and several other improvements to enhance the effectiveness of the Marine Corps | |
| 28 | Paul X. Kelley | General | July 1, 1983 | June 30, 1987 | In 2007, General Kelley published in the Washington Post an opinion piece that had a negative opinion on the use of enhanced interrogation techniques | |
| 29 | Alfred M. Gray, Jr. | General | July 1, 1987 | June 30, 1991 | The Alfred M. Gray Research Center at Marine Corps Base Quantico houses the Marine Corps Archives and Special Collections, the Quantico Base Library, and the research library for the Marine Corps University. | |
| 30 | Carl E. Mundy, Jr. | General | July 1, 1991 | June 30, 1995 | Is currently on the board of directors for General Dynamics and is the Chairman of the Marine Corps University foundation | |
| 31 | Charles C. Krulak | General | July 1, 1995 | June 30, 1999 | Was the son of Marine Corps Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak | |
| 32 | James L. Jones | General | July 1, 1999 | January 12, 2003 | Oversaw the Marine Corps' development of MARPAT camouflage uniforms and the adoption of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program; later became the first Marine officer to serve as Commander, U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), then as National Security Advisor for the Obama Administration. | |
| 33 | Michael W. Hagee | General | January 13, 2003 | November 13, 2006 | Guided the Corps through the initial years of the Iraq War | |
| 34 | James T. Conway | General | November 14, 2006 | October 22, 2010 | Commanded Marines forces in the Iraq War and oversaw expansion of the Corps to 202,000 personnel | |
| 35 | James F. Amos | General | October 22, 2010 | Incumbent | First United States Naval Aviator to serve as Commandant[9] |
Timeline
See also
References
Notes
- ^ a b c 10 U.S.C. § 151 Joint Chiefs of Staff: composition; functions.
- ^ 10 U.S.C. § 165 Combatant commands: administration and support
- ^ a b c d e 10 U.S.C. § 5043 Commandant of the Marine Corps
- ^ "Appendix A: How the Marines Are Organized" (PDF). Marine Corps Concepts and Programs 2006. United States Marine Corps. p. 252. http://www.usmc.mil/units/hqmc/pandr/Documents/Concepts/2006/PDF/Appendicies%202006%20PDFs/2006Appx%20A%20pg252-254%20Intro%20and%20HQMC.pdf. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
- ^ a b c d "Commandants of the U.S. Marine Corps". Historical Topics: Frequently Requested. Reference Branch, History Division, United States Marine Corps. http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Frequently_Requested/Commandants.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-21.
- ^ Journal of the Continental Congress (10 November 1775). "Resolution Establishing the Continental Marines". United States Marine Corps History Division. http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Docs_Speeches/Continentialcongressestmarines1775.htm. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
- ^ Hoffman, Col Jon T. (2002). Marine Corps Association. ed. USMC: A Complete History. Beth L. Crumley (illustration editor), Charles J. Ziga (design), Col John Greenwood (editor), James O. Muschett (editor). Hugh Lauter Levin Associates. ISBN 0-88363-650-6. http://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/bookindex02.asp.
- ^ Krivdo, Michael E. (4th quarter 2009). "Harpers Ferry: Last Action of "Henderson Era"". Fortitudine (Quantico, VA: United States Marine Corps Historical Program) 34 (4): pp. 7–11. ISBN 0-16-010404-1. http://bookstore.gpo.gov/actions/GetPublication.do?stocknumber=708-084-00000-0. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
- ^ Shea, Sgt Jimmy D. (22 October 2010). "Taking the Reins: Marine Corps Welcomes New Commandant". Headquarters Marine Corps. United States Marine Corps. http://www.marines.mil/unit/barracks/Pages/TakingthereinsMarineCorpswelcomesnewcommandant.aspx. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
General
- This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
- Allan Reed Millett and Jack Shulimson, ed (2004). Commandants of the Marine Corps. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9780870210129. http://books.google.com/books?id=Qns8bW_SESYC.
External links
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