The Military Secretary is the senior advisor and task manager for the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Personally selected by the Commandant, the Military Secretary is an active duty Colonel who reports directly to the Commandant. The exact duties of the Military Secretary have varied based on the needs and preferences of each Commandant. There are no existing manuals or orders that dictate the exact role of the Military Secretary. He runs the day to day operations of the Office of the Commandant, supervises the schedule of the Commandant, and performs other duties as the Commandant may direct. In order to perform the multi-faceted duties of the Military Secretary, the Marine must be well versed in all aspects of the Marine Corps, the Department of Defense, and the United States Government. Comparable positions in other branches of the military are:
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The Military Secretary serves as a direct advisor to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. The Military Secretary is primarily responsible for filtering and directing the flow of information to the Commandant, keeping the Commandant abreast of situations impacting the Marine Corps, gathering and analyzing pertinent information in order to provide sound guidance and counsel to the Commandant. His responsibilities extend to acting as a liaison between the Commandant and the Secretary of the General Staff, participating in scheduling and coordination with the Assistant Commandant, and supervising the Commandant's personal staff. Foreign dignitaries often visit the Commandant and he in turn travels overseas to visit them. Not only does the Military Secretary oversee the preparation and execution of these trips, he may be required to accompany the Commandant on these trips or engage guests on the Commandant’s behalf.
Originally, the position of Military Secretary to the Commandant of the Marine Corps (or MilSec) was called the Secretary to the Major General Commandant (MGC). The position was created by the 17th Commandant of the Marine Corps, Major General Thomas Holcomb, who appointed Colonel Alexander A. Vandegrift as the first Military Secretary in 1936. Until the 1950s, the Assistant Commandant worked in the same office as the Commandant. At this time the Assistant Commandant moved to his own office space and created a more defined position. Prior to this move, the Military Secretary performed duties for the Assistant Commandant as well.
Forty-three men have served as the Military Secretary to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. The following Marines have all served as the Military Secretary and have later went on to become the Commandant:
The current Military Secretary is Colonel James W Bierman, Jr.
| # | Photo | Name | Rank | Start of Tenure | End of Tenure | Retired Rank | Commandant Served Under |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander A. Vandegrift | Colonel | 1937 | 1940 | Major General Thomas Holcomb | ||
| 2 | Wiliam C. James | Colonel | 1940 | 1942 | Major General Thomas Holcomb | ||
| 3 | Harry Schmidt | Brigadier General | 1942 | 1942 | Major General Thomas Holcomb | ||
| 4 | Frederick C. McConnell | Colonel | 1942 | 1944 | Major General Thomas Holcomb | ||
| 5 | Joeseph C. Burger | Colonel | 1944 | 1946 | General Alexander A. Vandegrift | ||
| 6 | Donald Curtis | Colonel | 1946 | 1948 | General Alexander A. Vandegrift until 1947 General Clifton B. Cates until 1948 | ||
| 7 | Edwin A Pollock | Colonel | 1948 | 1949 | General Clifton B. Cates | ||
| 8 | Joseph H. Berry | Colonel | 1949 | 1951 | General Clifton B. Cates | ||
| 9 | Victor H. Krulak | Colonel | 1952 | 1956 | General Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. | ||
| 10 | Ormand R. Simpson | Colonel | 1956 | 1958 | General Randolph Mc. Pate | ||
| 11 | Roy L. Kline | Brigadier General | 1958 | 1960 | General Randolph Mc. Pate | ||
| 12 | John P. Coursey | Brigadier General | 1960 | 1962 | General David M. Shoup | ||
| 13 | Oscar T. Jensen, Jr. | Colonel | 1963 | 1963 | General David M. Shoup | ||
| 14 | James O. Appleyard | Colonel | 1964 | 1966 | General Wallace M. Greene, Jr. | ||
| 15 | Foster C. La Hue | Brigadier General | 1965 | 1967 | General Wallace M. Greene, Jr. | ||
| 16 | Carl W. Hoffman | Colonel | 1967 | 1967 | General Wallace M. Greene, Jr. | ||
| 17 | Fred E. Haynes, Jr. | Colonel | 1968 | 1968 | General Leonard F. Chapman, Jr. | ||
| 18 | Emmett O. Anglin, Jr. | Colonel | 1968 | 1971 | General Leonard F. Chapman, Jr. | ||
| 19 | Andrew E. O'Donnell | Colonel | 1969 | 1971 | General Leonard F. Chapman, Jr. | ||
| 20 | George R. Brier | Colonel | 1971 | 1972 | General Leonard F. Chapman, Jr. and General Robert E. Cushman | ||
| 21 | Robert E. Howard, Jr. | Colonel | 1972 | 1974 | General Robert E. Cushman | ||
| 22 | Ross L. Mulford | Colonel | 1974 | 1976 | General Robert E. Cushman until 1975 and General Louis H. Wilson, Jr. until 1976 | ||
| 23 | Robert C. Hagerty | Colonel | 1976 | 1978 | General Louis H. Wilson, Jr. | ||
| 24 | John B. Donovan, Jr. | Colonel | 1978 | 1979 | General Louis H. Wilson, Jr. | ||
| 25 | Darell U. Davidson | Colonel | 1979 | 1980 | General Robert H. Barrow | ||
| 26 | Walter R. Ledbetter, Jr. | Colonel | 1980 | 1981 | General Robert H. Barrow | ||
| 27 | James H. R. Curd | Colonel | 1981 | 1983 | General Robert H. Barrow | ||
| 28 | Joseph H. Alexander | Colonel | 1983 | 1985 | General Paul X. Kelley | ||
| 29 | Edward M. Mockler | Colonel | 1985 | 1986 | General Paul X. Kelley | ||
| 30 | Terry J. Ebbert | Colonel | 1986 | 1987 | General Paul X. Kelley | ||
| 31 | Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. | Colonel | 1987 | 1989 | General Alfred M. Gray, Jr. | ||
| 32 | General James L. Jones, Jr. | Colonel | 1989 | 1990 | General Alfred M. Gray, Jr. | ||
| 33 | Richard A. Combs | Colonel | 1990 | 1991 | General Alfred M. Gray, Jr. | ||
| 34 | Peter T. Metzger | Colonel | 1991 | 1992 | General Carl E. Mundy, Jr. | ||
| 35 | James C. Flynn | Colonel | 1992 | 1995 | General Carl E. Mundy, Jr. | ||
| 36 | Russell E. Appleton | Colonel | 1995 | 1998 | General Charles C. Krulak | ||
| 37 | John R. Allen | Colonel | 1998 | 1999 | General Charles C. Krulak | ||
| 38 | Dennis J. Hejlik | Colonel | 1999 | 2001 | General James L. Jones, Jr. | ||
| 39 | George J. Flynn | Colonel | 2001 | 2002 | General James L. Jones, Jr. | ||
| 40 | Robert E. Schmidle, Jr. | Colonel | 2002 | 2003 | General James L. Jones, Jr. until 2003 and General Michael W. Hagee until 2003 | ||
| 41 | James C. Walker | Colonel | 2003 | 2006 | General Michael W. Hagee | ||
| 42 | Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr. | Brigadier General | 2006 | 2007 | General Michael W. Hagee and until 2006 and General James T. Conway until 2007 | ||
| 43 | George F. Milburn | Colonel | 2007 | 2010 | Colonel | General James T. Conway | |
| 44 | George W. Smith Jr. | Brigadier General | 2010 | 2011 | General James F. Amos | ||
| 45 | James W. Bierman Jr. | Colonel | 2011 | Present | General James F. Amos |
Millett, Allan R.; Shulimson, Jack (2004). Commandants of the Marine Corps. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0870210129.