# Fleet Marine Force, Pacific

The Fleet Marine Force, Pacific (FMFPAC) is the largest maritime landing force in the world. Its units are spread across the Pacific Ocean and reports to the United States Pacific Command. It is headquartered at MCB Camp H. M. Smith, HI and directs and commands all the subordinate elements of the Navy Expeditionary Strike Force and Marine Air-Ground Task Force components that follow under the 3rd, 5th, and 7th Fleet and the Marine Corps Forces, Pacific (MARFORPAC). The Commanding General of Marine Corps Forces, Pacific is dual-posted as the Commanding General of Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. FMFPAC is under operational control of the Commander, United States Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT), when deployed.
FMFPAC was established by General 'Howling Mad' Smith in 1944 to assume command of very large Marine forces in the Pacific theatre of World War II, of the order of 500,000. Since then, the forces commanded by FMFPAC have been the largest field command in the Marine Corps, representing two-thirds of its combat strength.

## History

The provisional administrative headquarters of Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, was established on 12 June 1944 as the reformation of the V Amphibious Corps, and it formally was designated as Headquarters Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, on 17 September 1944. On 12 July of the same year, Holland Smith became Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, after being appointed by Admiral Chester Nimitz, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. The force grew to a strength of six divisions and five aircraft wings by the end of the war.
The preceding units of the Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, were mainly from the original Fleet Marine Force, established on 7 December 1933 by the Secretary of the Navy, Claude A. Swanson. It consisted of two brigades, one on the East Coast in Quantico, Virginia, and one on the West Coast in San Diego, California. In 1941 the Fleet Marine Force was reduced to a training command in the continental United States during the war, while two amphibious forces, one in the Atlantic and one in the Pacific, were created as field commands. In 1943 the Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet, became V Amphibious Corps. In the spring of 1944, the commander of V Amphibious Corps had his role expanded to cover the III Amphibious Corps as well, and this position developed into the Headquarters, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, in September 1944. FMFPAC was created as a U.S. Navy type command responsible for organizing, training, and supporting Marine forces in the Pacific Fleet, as well as advising the Commander of the Pacific Fleet on all matters related to the Marine Corps. In December 1946, the Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic (FMFLANT) was created as the East Coast counterpart to FMFPAC.
In July 1992, the Marine Corps established two service component commands to geographic unified combatant commands, including the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific (MARFORPAC). Since then, the Commander, MARFORPAC, has been dual-hatted as the Commanding General, FMFPAC.
Marine units from FMFPAC were deployed to China during the Chinese Civil War, and participated in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. It also sent units to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, because before 2005 the area covered by the U.S. Central Command was in the jurisdiction of FMFPAC. The head of MARFORPAC and FMFPAC was also nominally the Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command (MARCENT), from 1992 until 2005, when that role was given to the commanding general, II Marine Expeditionary Force.

## Organization

Reporting directly to the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific (CG FMFPAC) are the Commanding Generals of two Marine Expeditionary Forces (I MEF and III MEF), the Commanding Generals of two Marine Expeditionary Brigades (1st MEB and 3rd MEB), and the Commanding Officers of four Marine Expeditionary Units (11th, 13th, 15th, and 31st MEUs).
The Commanding General, I MEF, exercises operational control over the 1st Marine Division, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and the 1st Marine Logistics Group, while the Commanding General, III MEF, exercises operational control over the 3d Marine Division, the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, and the 3rd Marine Logistics Group.

## Hierarchy of Fleet Marine Force units
### Commander, United States Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT)

Camp H. M. Smith Aiea, Hawaii

#### Marine Forces, Pacific (MARFORPAC)

Landing Force, Third Fleet (LF3F) :
| Task Force 36 | Naval Base Point Loma San Diego, CA |
| Task Force 39 | Naval Base Point Loma San Diego, CA |
| I Marine Expeditionary Force | MCB Camp Pendleton California, United States |
| III Marine Expeditionary Force | Camp Courtney Okinawa, Japan |

#### Marine Forces, Central (MARCENT)

Landing Force, Fifth Fleet (LF5F) :
| Task Force 56 | Naval Support Activity Bahrain Kingdom of Bahrain |
| Task Force 59 | Naval Support Activity Bahrain Kingdom of Bahrain |
| I Marine Expeditionary Force | MCB Camp Pendleton California, United States |

#### Marine Forces, Korea (MARFORK)

Landing Force, Seventh Fleet (LF7F) :
| Task Force 76 | U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka Yokosuka, Japan |
| Task Force 79 | U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka Yokosuka, Japan |
| III Marine Expeditionary Force | Camp Courtney Okinawa, Japan |

## List of commanders

| No. | Commander | Commander | Term | Term | Term | Ref |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Ref |
| Commanding General FMFPAC |||||||
| 1 | | Smith, HollandLieutenant General Holland Smith (1882–1967) | 17 September 1944 | 3 July 1945 | 289 days | $^{:31}$ |
| 2 | | Geiger, RoyLieutenant General Roy Geiger (1885–1947) | 3 July 1945 | 15 November 1946 | 1 year, 135 days | |
| 3 | | Turnage, AllenLieutenant General Allen Turnage (1891–1971) | 15 November 1946 | 1 January 1948 | 1 year, 47 days | |
| 4 | | Watson, Thomas E.Lieutenant General Thomas E. Watson (1892–1966) | 1 January 1948 | 1 July 1950 | 2 years, 181 days | |
| 5 | | Shepherd, Lemuel C.Lieutenant General Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr. (1896–1990) | 1 July 1950 | January 1952 | 1 year, 184 days | |
| 6 | | Hart, Franklin A.Lieutenant General Franklin A. Hart (1894–1967) | January 1952 | 1 August 1954 | 2 years, 212 days | |
| 7 | | Pepper, Robert H.Lieutenant General Robert H. Pepper (1895–1968) | 1 August 1954 | 9 September 1955 | 1 year, 39 days | |
| 8 | | Brice, William O.Lieutenant General William O. Brice (1898–1972) | 9 September 1955 | 1 September 1956 | 358 days | |
| 9 | | Pollock, Edwin A.Lieutenant General Edwin A. Pollock (1899–1982) | 1 September 1956 | 10 December 1957 | 1 year, 100 days | |
| 10 | | Megee, Vernon E.Lieutenant General Vernon E. Megee (1900–1992) | 10 December 1957 | 30 October 1959 | 1 year, 324 days | |
| 11 | | Wornham, Thomas A.Lieutenant General Thomas Wornham (1903–1984) | 30 October 1959 | 1 April 1961 | 1 year, 153 days | |
| 12 | | Lieutenant General Alan Shapley (1903–1973) | 1 April 1961 | 1 June 1962 | 1 year, 61 days | |
| 13 | | Roberts, Carson A.Lieutenant General Carson A. Roberts (1905–1983) | 1 June 1962 | 1 March 1964 | 1 year, 274 days | |
| 14 | | Krulak, Victor H.Lieutenant General Victor Krulak (1913–2008) | 1 March 1964 | 31 May 1968 | 4 years, 91 days | |
| 15 | | Buse, Henry W.Lieutenant General Henry W. Buse Jr. (1912–1988) | 31 May 1968 | 1 July 1970 | 2 years, 31 days | |
| 16 | | Jones, William K.Lieutenant General William K. Jones (1916–1998) | 1 July 1970 | 1 September 1972 | 2 years, 62 days | |
| 17 | | Wilson, Louis H.Lieutenant General Louis H. Wilson Jr. (1920–2005) | 1 September 1972 | May 1975 | 2 years, 212 days | |
| - | | Miller, Thomas H.Major General Thomas H. Miller (1923–2007) Acting | May 1975 | August 1975 | 92 days | |
| 18 | | McLaughlin, John N.Lieutenant General John N. McLaughlin (1918–2002) | August 1975 | 1 July 1977 | 1 year, 334 days | |
| 19 | | Brown, Leslie E.Lieutenant General Leslie E. Brown (1920–1997) | 1 July 1977 | 1 October 1978 | 1 year, 92 days | |
| 20 | | O'Donnel, Andrew W.Lieutenant General Andrew W. O'Donnell Sr. (1924–1997) | October 1978 | 30 June 1981 | 2 years, 272 days | |
| 21 | | Davis, John K.Lieutenant General John K. Davis (1927–2019) | 30 June 1981 | 1 July 1983 | 2 years, 1 day | |
| 22 | | Cooper, Charles G.Lieutenant General Charles G. Cooper (1927–2009) | 1 July 1983 | 31 July 1985 | 2 years, 30 days | |
| 23 | | Gray, D'wayneLieutenant General D'Wayne Gray (1932–2014) | 31 July 1985 | 16 September 1987 | 2 years, 47 days | |
| - | | Cooke, Richard M.Major General Richard M. Cooke (1930–2019) Acting | 16 September 1987 | 2 October 1987 | 16 days | |
| 24 | | Milligan, Robert F.Lieutenant General Edwin J. Godfrey (1932–2002) | 2 October 1987 | 28 September 1989 | 1 year, 361 days | |
| 25 | | Milligan, Robert F.Lieutenant General Robert F. Milligan (born 1932) | 28 September 1989 | 22 August 1991 | 1 year, 328 days | |
| 26 | | Moore, Royal N.Lieutenant General Royal N. Moore Jr. (born 1935) | 22 August 1991 | 9 July 1992 | 322 days | |
| Commanding General FMFPAC / Commander MARFORPAC / Commander MARCENT |||||||
| 27 | | Stackpole, Hank C.Lieutenant General Hank Stackpole (1935–2020) | 9 July 1992 | 22 July 1994 | 1 year, 356 days | |
| 28 | | Krulak, Charles C.Lieutenant General Charles Krulak (born 1942) | 22 July 1994 | 15 June 1995 | 342 days | |
| 29 | | Howell, Jefferson D.Lieutenant General Jefferson D. Howell | 29 September 1995 Acting: 15 June 1995 | 7 May 1998 | 2 years, 220 days | |
| 30 | | Fulford, Carlton W.Lieutenant General Carlton W. Fulford Jr. (born 1944) | 7 May 1998 | 22 June 1999 | 1 year, 46 days | |
| 31 | | Libutti, FrankLieutenant General Frank Libutti (born 1945) | 22 June 1999 | 16 August 2001 | 2 years, 55 days | |
| 32 | | Hailston, Earl B.Lieutenant General Earl B. Hailston (born 1947) | 16 August 2001 | 1 August 2003 | 1 year, 350 days | |
| 33 | | Gregson, Wallace C.Lieutenant General Wallace C. Gregson (born 1946) | 1 August 2003 | 5 August 2005 | 2 years, 4 days | |
| Commanding General FMFPAC / Commander MARFORPAC |||||||
| 34 | | Goodman, John F.Lieutenant General John F. Goodman (born 1945) | 5 August 2005 | 22 August 2008 | 3 years, 17 days | |
| 35 | | Stalder, Keith J.Lieutenant General Keith J. Stalder | 23 August 2008 | 2 September 2010 | 2 years, 10 days |
| 36 | | Thiessen, Duane D.Lieutenant General Duane D. Thiessen (born 1951) | 2 September 2010 | 2 August 2012 | ~1 year, 335 days | |
| 37 | | Robling, Terry G.Lieutenant General Terry G. Robling | 2 August 2012 | 15 August 2014 | 2 years, 13 days | |
| 38 | | Toolan, John A.Lieutenant General John A. Toolan (born 1954) | 15 August 2014 | 26 August 2016 | 2 years, 11 days | |
| 39 | | Berger, David H.Lieutenant General David H. Berger (born 1959) | 26 August 2016 | 8 August 2018 | 1 year, 347 days | |
| 40 | | Craparotta, Lewis A.Lieutenant General Lewis A. Craparotta (born 1960) | 8 August 2018 | 16 July 2020 | 1 year, 343 days |
| 41 | | Rudder, Steven R.Lieutenant General Steven R. Rudder (born c. 1962) | 16 July 2020 | 7 September 2022 | 2 years, 53 days |
| 42 | | Jurney, WilliamLieutenant General William M. Jurney | 7 September 2022 | 12 September 2024 | 2 years, 5 days | |
| 43 | | Glynn, JamesLieutenant General James F. Glynn | 12 September 2024 | Incumbent | 26 days | |