# Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps

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 was 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. | 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. | 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 (1930–2024) | 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 | 1 year, 102 days |