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 Assistant to the Commandant . The Assistant Commandant is appointed by the President of the United States and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate . In the event that the Commandant is absent or is unable to perform his duties , 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 Comandant has served for two to three years . The 33rd and current Assistant Commandant is John M . Paxton , Jr . , < ref name = " 040 / 10 " > ALMAR 040 / 10 < / ref > who took office on 15 December 2012 , when Joseph F . Dunford , Jr . vacated the office to become the sitting Commandant . The first Marine to hold the billet as " 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 previous 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 the " 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 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 that went on to become Commandant themselves : John A . Lejeune , Wendell C . Neville , Ben H . Fuller , John H . Russell , Jr . and Alexander A . Vandegrift . 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 five others : Randolph M . Pate , Leonard F . Chapman , Jr . , Robert H . Barrow , Paul X . Kelley and James F . Amos . 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 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 .