James F . Amos James F . " Jim " Amos ( born November 12 , 1946 ) is a four - star General in the United States Marine Corps and the 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps . As a Naval Aviator , Amos commanded the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and 2004 . He served as the 31st Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps from July 3 , 2008 to October 22 , 2010 . Early life and education . General Amos was born on November 12 , 1946 , in the Wendell , Idaho , and graduated from the University of Idaho in 1970 . Career . General Amos was designated a Naval Aviator in 1971 , and has held a variety of operational and staff assignments since 1972 . His operational assignments include tours with VMFA - 212 , VMFA - 235 , VMFA - 232 and VMFA - 122 where he flew the F - 4 Phantom II . In 1985 then - Lieutenant Colonel Amos assumed command of Marine Air Base Squadron 24 . In April 1987 , Lieutenant Colonel Amos deployed to the western pacific as Executive Officer of VMFA - 212 for what would be called " Operation Last Dance " , the last overseas deployment of the Marine F - 4 Phantom before it was phased out and retired . Transitioning to the F / A - 18 Hornet , he assumed command of VMFA - 312 and subsequently joined Carrier Air Wing Eight on board the . In May 1996 , Colonel Amos took command of Marine Aircraft Group 31 in Beaufort , South Carolina . In August 2002 , he assumed command of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and deployed with them to Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . Amos served as Commanding General of the II Marine Expeditionary Force from July 2004 to July 2006 . General Amos ' s staff assignments include tours with MAG - 15 and MAG - 31 , III Marine Expeditionary Force , Training Squadron Seven , The Basic School , and the MAGTF Staff Training Program . Promoted to brigadier general in 1998 , he was assigned to NATO as Deputy Commander , Naval Striking Forces , Southern Europe , and as the U . S . Deputy Commanding General , Fleet Marine Force , Europe , at Naples , Italy . During this tour he commanded NATO ' s Kosovo Verification Coordination Center , and served as Chief of Staff , U . S . Joint Task Force Noble Anvil during the air campaign over Yugoslavia . Transferred in 2000 to The Pentagon , he was assigned as Assistant Deputy Commandant for Aviation . Reassigned in December 2001 , General Amos served as the Assistant Deputy Commandant for Plans , Policies and Operations Department , Headquarters Marine Corps . From August 2006 to July 2008 , Amos served as Commanding General , Marine Corps Combat Development Command , and Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration . General Amos became the 31st Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps on July 4 , 2008 . In June 2010 , General Amos was recommended for nomination by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to succeed James T . Conway as Commandant , while recommending General Joseph F . Dunford , Jr . to fill his role as Assistant Commandant . He was formally nominated by President Barack Obama on July 20 , who interviewed him for the job on June 17 . He received support from the Senate Armed Services Committee during a confirmation hearing on September 21 , and confirmed shortly thereafter . On October 22 , 2010 , Mr . Conway turned the position over to General Amos at a ceremony at Marine Barracks , Washington , D . C . . This marked the first time a Marine aviator has held the position of Commandant and the first sitting Assistant Commandant since 1983 to become Commandant . Repeal of don ' t ask , don ' t tell . As Commandant , General Amos opposed the repeal of the " don ' t ask , don ' t tell " policy regarding homosexuals openly serving in the U . S . military . After President Obama signed the legislation setting the conditions for repeal , General Amos led the Department of Defense in carrying out the will of the nation ' s civilian leadership . In late November 2011 , General Amos stated that his opposition to gays openly serving in the military has proven unfounded and said that Marines have embraced the change , describing the repeal as a " non - event . " Personal life . General Amos graduated from the Armed Forces Staff College , Norfolk , Virginia and the Air War College , Maxwell Air Force Base , Alabama . Awards and education . He holds the rifle sharpshooter marksmanship badges .