# Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic

The Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic (FMFLANT) is an American maritime landing force that is spread across the Atlantic Ocean. It is headquartered at Naval Station Norfolk 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 2nd (Disestablished and merged with US Fleet Forces Command on 30 September 2011), 4th, and 6th Fleet and the Marine Forces Command (MarForCom). The Commanding General of Marine Forces Command is dual-posted as the Commanding General of the Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic. FMFLANT is under operational control of the Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet Forces Command, when deployed.

## History

The Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, traces its history to the Advanced Base Force, created in the early 1900s. In the early 1920s, the Marine Corps began developing the advanced base doctrine from a defensive posture to one that included offensive amphibious operations. The units of the Advanced Base Force became the East Coast Expeditionary Force in 1921, during the reforms made to the Marine Corps structure by Commandant John Lejeune, to emphasize the more offensive nature of its potential operations. As the expeditionary warfare concept developed, in December 1933 the Fleet Marine Force was established, with one brigade at Quantico, Virginia, and one in San Diego, California. In 1941, the Fleet Marine Force became a training command and two field commands, the Amphibious Corps, Atlantic Fleet, and Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet, were created.
The Basic Post-War Plan No. 2 was issued on 22 March 1946, which divided the Marine Corps into two Fleet Marine Force components: Atlantic (FMFLANT) and Pacific (FMFPAC). The Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, was activated with the commander of the 2nd Marine Division as its acting commanding general, and under the operational control of the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, on 16 December 1946. Its first headquarters was Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, before being moved to Norfolk, Virginia, in March 1947. On 13 July 1992, FMFLANT became part of Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic (MARFORLANT), which was renamed U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command (MARFORCOM) on 30 December 2005.
From 1980, the commanding general of Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, was also the designated head of Fleet Marine Force, Europe, which became Marine Corps Forces Europe (MARFOREUR) in 1994. In the early 1990s, the post also became the designated commander of Marine Corps Forces South (MARFORSOUTH). These were both "designate" headquarters, meaning they only had a minimal staff during peacetime that would become a larger full service component command only during operations. Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, was nominally the commander of both. In 2008, MARFOREUR became a separate organization with its own dedicated commander, and MARFORSOUTH did so in 2015. From 1980 to 1997, the commanding general of FMFLANT also was the commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force.

## Organization

Reporting directly to the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic (CG FMFLANT) are the Commanding General, II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), the Commanding General, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB), and the Commanding Officers of three Marine Expeditionary Units (22d, 24th, 26th MEUs). The Commanding General, II MEF, exercises operational control over the 2d Marine Division, the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, and the 2d Marine Logistics Group.

## Hierarchy of Fleet Marine Force units
### Commander, United States Fleet Forces Command (COMFLTFORCOM)

Naval Support Activity Norfolk, Virginia

#### Marine Forces Command (MARFORCOM)

Landing Force, Second Fleet (LF2F) :
| Combined Task Force 22 (CTF-22) | Naval Station Norfolk Norfolk, VA |
| Combined Task Force 23 (CTF-23) | Naval Station Norfolk Norfolk, VA |
| II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) | MCB Camp Lejeune North Carolina, United States |

#### Marine Forces, South (MARFORSOUTH)

Landing Force, Fourth Fleet (LF4F) :
| | U.S. Southern Command Miami, Florida |
| II Marine Expeditionary Force | MCB Camp Lejeune North Carolina, United States |

#### Marine Forces, Europe (MARFOREUR)

Landing Force, Sixth Fleet (LF6F) :
| Task Force 61 | Naval Support Activity Naples Naples, Italy |
| Task Force 62 | Naval Support Activity Naples Naples, Italy |
| Task Force 68 | Naval Support Activity Naples Naples, Italy |
| II Marine Expeditionary Force | MCB Camp Lejeune North Carolina, United States |

## List of commanders

| No. | Commander | Commander | Term | Term | Term | Ref |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Ref |
| Commanding General FMFLANT |||||||
| - | | Watson, Thomas E.Major General Thomas E. Watson (1892–1966) Acting | 16 December 1946 | 1 January 1947 | 16 days | |
| 1 | | Rockey, Keller E.Lieutenant General Keller Rockey (1888–1970) | 1 January 1947 | 1 July 1949 | 2 years, 181 days | |
| 2 | | Hunt, LeRoy P.Lieutenant General LeRoy P. Hunt (1892–1968) | 1 July 1949 | 1 July 1951 | 2 years, 0 days | |
| 3 | | Erskine, Graves B.Lieutenant General Graves B. Erskine (1897–1973) | 1 July 1951 | 1 July 1953 | 2 years, 0 days | |
| 4 | | Smith, Oliver P.Lieutenant General Oliver P. Smith (1893–1977) | 1 July 1953 | 1 September 1955 | 2 years, 62 days | |
| 5 | | Noble, Alfred H.Lieutenant General Alfred H. Noble (1894–1983) | 1 September 1955 | 1 November 1956 | 1 year, 61 days | |
| 5 | | Robinson, Ray A.Lieutenant General Ray A. Robinson (1896–1976) | 1 November 1956 | 1 November 1957 | 1 year, 0 days | |
| 6 | | Pollock, Edwin A.Lieutenant General Edwin A. Pollock (1899–1982) | 1 November 1957 | 1 November 1959 | 2 years, 0 days | |
| 7 | | Burger, Joseph C.Lieutenant General Joseph C. Burger (1902–1982) | 1 November 1959 | 1 November 1961 | 2 years, 0 days | |
| 8 | | Luckey, Robert B.Lieutenant General Robert B. Luckey (1905–1974) | 1 November 1961 | 1 August 1963 | 1 year, 273 days | |
| 9 | | Berkeley, James P.Lieutenant General James P. Berkeley (1907–1995) | 1 August 1963 | 1 July 1965 | 1 year, 334 days | |
| 10 | | Bowser, Alpha L.Lieutenant General Alpha Bowser (1910–2003) | 1 July 1965 | 1 July 1967 | 2 years, 0 days | |
| 11 | | Weede, Richard G.Lieutenant General Richard G. Weede (1911–1985) | 1 July 1967 | 31 August 1969 | 2 years, 61 days | |
| 12 | | Leek, Frederick E.Lieutenant General Frederick E. Leek (1914–1996) | 31 August 1969 | 1 July 1971 | 1 year, 304 days | |
| 13 | | Anderson, Earl E.Lieutenant General Earl E. Anderson (1919–2015) | 1 July 1971 | 1 April 1972 | 275 days | |
| 14 | | Axtell, George C.Lieutenant General George C. Axtell (1920–2011) | 1 April 1972 | 1 September 1974 | 2 years, 153 days | |
| 15 | | Nichols, Robert L.Lieutenant General Robert L. Nichols (1922–2001) | 1 September 1974 | 1 October 1976 | 2 years, 30 days | |
| 16 | | Barrow Robert H.Lieutenant General Robert H. Barrow (1922–2008) | 1 October 1976 | 1 July 1978 | 1 year, 273 days | |
| 17 | | Miller Edward J.Lieutenant General Edward Miller (1922–1993) | 1 July 1978 | 1 October 1980 | 2 years, 92 days | |
| Commanding General FMFLANT / II MEF / FMFEUR |||||||
| 18 | | Schwenk Adolph G.Lieutenant General Adolph G. Schwenk (1922–2004) | 1 October 1980 | 1 July 1982 | 1 year, 273 days | |
| 19 | | Miller John H.Lieutenant General John H. Miller (born 1925) | 1 July 1982 | 1 September 1984 | 2 years, 62 days | |
| 20 | | Gray, Alfred M.Lieutenant General Alfred M. Gray Jr. (1928–2024) | 1 September 1984 | 1 July 1987 | 2 years, 303 days | |
| - | | Comfort, Clayton L.Major General Clayton L. Comfort (1930–2004) Acting | 1 July 1987 | 1 September 1987 | 62 days | |
| 21 | | Cook Ernest T.Lieutenant General Ernest T. Cook Jr. (1935–2000) | 1 July 1987 | 1 July 1990 | 3 years, 0 days | |
| 22 | | Lieutenant General Carl E. Mundy Jr. (1935–2014) | 1 July 1990 | 25 June 1991 | 359 days | |
| Commanding General FMFLANT / II MEF / Commander MARFORLANT / MARFOREUR / MARFORSOUTH |||||||
| 23 | | Keys, William M.Lieutenant General William M. Keys (born 1937) | 25 June 1991 | 1 September 1994 | 3 years, 68 days | |
| 24 | | Johnston, Robert B.Lieutenant General Robert B. Johnston (1937–2023) | 1 September 1994 | August 1995 | 334 days | |
| 25 | | Wilhelm, Charles E.Lieutenant General Charles E. Wilhelm (born 1941) | August 1995 | 23 November 1997 | 2 years, 114 days | |
| Commanding General FMFLANT / Commander MARFORLANT / MARFOREUR / MARFORSOUTH |||||||
| 26 | | Pace, PeterLieutenant General Peter Pace (born 1945) | 23 November 1997 | 8 September 2000 | 2 years, 290 days | |
| 27 | | Ayres, Raymond P.Lieutenant General Raymond P. Ayres (born 1944) | 8 September 2000 | 15 August 2002 | 1 year, 341 days |
| 28 | | Berndt, Martin R.Lieutenant General Martin R. Berndt (born 1941) | 15 August 2002 | 15 August 2005 | 3 years, 0 days | |
| Commanding General FMFLANT / Commander MARFORCOM / MARFOREUR / MARFORSOUTH |||||||
| 29 | | Blackman, Robert R. Jr.Lieutenant General Robert R. Blackman Jr. (born 1948) | 15 August 2005 | 18 July 2007 | 1 year, 337 days | |
| Commanding General FMFLANT / Commander MARFORCOM / MARFORSOUTH |||||||
| 30 | | Weber, Joseph F.Lieutenant General Joseph F. Weber (born 1950) | 18 July 2007 | 1 August 2008 | 1 year, 14 days | |
| 31 | | Natonski, Richard F.Lieutenant General Richard F. Natonski (born 1951) | 1 August 2008 | 17 August 2010 | 2 years, 16 days |
| 32 | | Hejik, Dennis J.Lieutenant General Dennis J. Hejlik (born 1947) | 17 August 2010 | 20 July 2012 | 1 year, 338 days | |
| 33 | | 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 |
| 34 | | Tryon, Richard T.Lieutenant General Richard T. Tryon (born c. 1954) | 28 June 2013 | 1 July 2014 | 1 year, 3 days | |
| 35 | | Neller, Robert B.Lieutenant General Robert B. Neller (born 1953) | 1 July 2014 | 23 September 2015 | 1 year, 84 days |
| Commanding General FMFLANT / Commander MARFORCOM |||||||
| - | | Gering, Bradford J.Brigadier General Bradford J. Gering (born 1967) Acting | 23 September 2015 | 18 December 2015 | 86 days |
| 36 | | Wissler, John E.Lieutenant General John E. Wissler (born 1956) | 18 December 2015 | 14 August 2017 | 1 year, 239 days | |
| 37 | | Brilakis, Mark A.Lieutenant General Mark A. Brilakis (born 1958) | 14 August 2017 | 3 July 2019 | 1 year, 323 days | |
| 38 | | 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 |
| 39 | | 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 |
| 40 | | Cavanaugh, Brian W.Lieutenant General Brian W. Cavanaugh (born 1968) | 30 August 2022 | 6 August 2024 | 1 year, 342 days | |
| 41 | | Shea, Roberta L.Lieutenant General Roberta L. Shea (born c. 1967) | 6 August 2024 | Incumbent | 63 days | |

## History

* Advanced Base Force
* East Coast Expeditionary Force