# United States Marine Corps Forces Command

The Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command (COMMARFORCOM), headquartered at the Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads in Norfolk, Virginia, commands service retained-operating forces; executes force sourcing and synchronization to affect force generation actions in the provisioning of joint capable Marine Corps forces, and directs deployment planning and execution of service retained-operating forces in support of Combatant Commander (CCDR) and service requirements; serves as Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic (CG FMFLANT) and commands embarked Marine Corps forces; coordinates Marine Corps-Navy integration of operational initiatives and advises CDR U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFF) on support to Marine Corps forces assigned to naval ships, bases, and installations; conducts Service directed operational tasks as required. COMMARFORCOM is also the Commander, Marine Corps Forces Northern Command (MARFORNORTH), the Marine service component command of U.S. Northern Command.

## History

It was established on 13 July 1992 as Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic (MARFORLANT), and was renamed Marine Corps Forces Command on 30 December 2004. Between 1994 and 1997 its headquarters was briefly moved to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, before returning to Norfolk. The Commander of Marine Forces Atlantic (since 2004 the Marine Corps Forces Command) is also simultaneously the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic (FMFLANT).
During the 1990s, Marine Forces Atlantic was one of the two active field commands of the Marine Corps, along with the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific (MARFORPAC). The Commander of MARFORLANT (and later MARFORCOM) was also simultaneously the Commander-designate of Marine Corps Forces Europe (MARFOREUR) and Marine Corps Forces South (MARFORSOUTH), while the Commander of MARFORPAC was the Commander-designate for Marine Corps Forces Central Command (MARCENT) and Marine Corps Forces Korea (MARFORK). The "designate" commands had a minimal staff during peacetime that would be activated and become part of a larger component command in the event of a war.
In 2015, both Marine Forces Europe/Africa and Marine Forces South became fully independent headquarters with dedicated commanders.
In 2020, the responsibility for leading Marine Corps Forces Northern Command (MARFORNORTH) was transferred to the commander of MARFORCOM, after previously being held by the commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

## Organization

As COMMARFORCOM, commands Service retained-operational forces. As CG FMFLANT, commands Service retained-operational forces embarked aboard Naval shipping. As COMMARFORNORTH, advises the U.S. Northern Command on the usage of Marine Corps forces in homeland defense operations.
* Status and Command Relationships. MARFORCOM is a Service retained component headquarters with the following command relationships.
** COMMARFORCOM reports to the Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC).
** COMMARFORCOM commands and exercises administrative control (ADCON) of the following subordinate commands:
*** II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF)
*** Headquarters and Service Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command (HQSVCBN)
*** Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group (MCSCG)
*** Marine Corps Security Force Regiment (MCSFR)
*** Marine Corps Embassy Security Group (MCESG)
*** Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF)
*** Marine Corps Information Command (MARCOR INFOCOM). The Commander of Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command serves as the Commanding General (CG) of MARCOR INFOCOM.

## List of commanders

| No. | Commander | Commander | Term | Term | Term |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length |
| Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic ||||||
| 1 | | Keys, William M.Lieutenant General William M. Keys (born 1937) | July 1991 | 30 June 1994 | ~2 years, 364 days |
| 2 | | Johnston, Robert B.Lieutenant General Robert B. Johnston (1941–2023) | 1 July 1994 | August 1995 | ~1 year, 31 days |
| 3 | | Wilhelm, Charles E.Lieutenant General Charles E. Wilhelm (born 1941) | August 1995 | 23 November 1997 | ~2 years, 114 days |
| 4 | | Pace, PeterLieutenant General Peter Pace (born 1945) | 23 November 1997 | 8 September 2000 | 2 years, 290 days |
| 5 | | Ayres, Raymond P.Lieutenant General Raymond P. Ayres (born 1944) | 8 September 2000 | 15 August 2002 | 1 year, 341 days |
| 6 | | Berndt, Martin R.Lieutenant General Martin R. Berndt (born 1941) | 15 August 2002 | 15 August 2004 | 2 years, 0 days |
| 7 | | Blackman, Robert R. Jr.Lieutenant General Robert R. Blackman Jr. (born 1948) | 15 August 2004 | 18 July 2007 | 2 years, 337 days |
| Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces Command ||||||
| 8 | | Weber, Joseph F.Lieutenant General Joseph F. Weber (born 1950) | 18 July 2007 | 1 August 2008 | 1 year, 14 days |
| 9 | | Natonski, Richard F.Lieutenant General Richard F. Natonski (born 1951) | 1 August 2008 | 17 August 2010 | 2 years, 16 days |
| 10 | | Hejik, Dennis J.Lieutenant General Dennis J. Hejlik (born 1947) | 17 August 2010 | 20 July 2012 | 1 year, 338 days |
| 11 | | Paxton, John M. Jr.Lieutenant General John M. Paxton Jr. (born 1951) | 20 July 2012 | 13 December 2012 | 146 days |
| - | | Crowe, W. BlakeBrigadier General W. Blake Crowe (born 1967) Acting | 13 December 2012 | 28 June 2013 | 197 days |
| 12 | | Tryon, Richard T.Lieutenant General Richard T. Tryon (born c. 1954) | 28 June 2013 | 1 July 2014 | 1 year, 3 days |
| 13 | | Neller, Robert B.Lieutenant General Robert B. Neller (born 1953) | 1 July 2014 | 23 September 2015 | 1 year, 84 days |
| - | | Gering, Bradford J.Brigadier General Bradford J. Gering (born 1967) Acting | 23 September 2015 | 18 December 2015 | 86 days |
| 14 | | Wissler, John E.Lieutenant General John E. Wissler (born 1956) | 18 December 2015 | 14 August 2017 | 1 year, 239 days |
| 15 | | Brilakis, Mark A.Lieutenant General Mark A. Brilakis (born 1958) | 14 August 2017 | 3 July 2019 | 1 year, 323 days |
| 16 | | Hedelund, Robert F.Lieutenant General Robert F. Hedelund (born 1961) | 3 July 2019 | 25 October 2021 | 2 years, 114 days |
| - | | Langley, Michael E.Major General Michael E. Langley (born c. 1963) Acting | 25 October 2021 | 3 November 2021 | 9 days |
| 17 | | Langley, Michael E.Lieutenant General Michael E. Langley (born c. 1963) | 3 November 2021 | 4 August 2022 | 274 days |
| - | | Kelliher, John F. IIIBrigadier General John F. Kelliher III Acting | 4 August 2022 | 30 August 2022 | 26 days |
| 18 | | Cavanaugh, Brian W.Lieutenant General Brian W. Cavanaugh (born 1968) | 30 August 2022 | 6 August 2024 | 1 year, 342 days |
| 19 | | Shea, Roberta L.Lieutenant General Roberta L. Shea (born c. 1967) | 6 August 2024 | Incumbent | 173 days |