Commandant of the Marine Corps

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Commandant of the Marine Corps

The Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) is the highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing Military power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver Marine Air-Ground Task Force....
and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a group of military leaders in the United States armed forces who advise the civilian government of the United States....
. The CMC reports directly to the Secretary of the Navy but not to the Chief of Naval Operations

Chief of Naval Operations

The Chief of Naval Operations is the highest ranking officer in the United States Navy and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The CNO reports directly to the United States Secretary of the Navy for the command, utilization of resources and operating efficiency of the operating forces of the Navy and of the Navy shore activities as...
. The CMC is responsible for ensuring the organization, policy, plans, and programs for the Marine Corps as well as advising the President

President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
, the Secretary of Defense

United States Secretary of Defense

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Encyclopedia

The Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) is the highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

Joint Chiefs of Staff

Chief of Naval Operations

President of the United States

United States Secretary of Defense

File:USSecDefflag.PNGThe United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense , concerned with the Military of the United States and Military of the United States....
and the Secretary of the Navy on matters involving the Marine Corps. Under the authority of the Secretary of the Navy, the CMC also designates Marine personnel and resources to the commanders of Unified Combatant Command

Unified Combatant Command

A Unified Combatant Command is a United States joint military Command composed of forces from two or more services, has a broad and continuing mission, and is organized either on a geographical basis or on a functional basis....
s. The commandant also performs all other functions prescribed in Section 5043 in Title 10 of the United States Code

Title 10 of the United States Code

Title 10 of the United States Code outlines the role of Military of the United States in the United States Code.It provides the legal basis for the roles, missions and organization of each of the services as well as the United States Department of Defense....
or delegates those duties and responsibilities to other officers in his administration in his name. As with the other joint chiefs, the commandant is an administrative position and has no operational command authority over United States Marine Corps forces.

The Commandant is nominated by the President and must be confirmed by majority vote from the Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism United States Congress, the lower house being the United States House of Representatives....
. By statute, the commandant is appointed as a four-star general

General (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a 4 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....
.

"The Commandant is directly responsible to the Secretary of the Navy for the total performance of the Marine Corps. This includes the administration, discipline, internal organization, training, requirements, efficiency, and readiness of the service. The Commandant also is responsible for the operation of the Marine Corps material support system."

Since 1801, the home of the Commandant is located in Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.

Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.

Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. is located at 8th and I Streets SE in Washington, D.C. Established in 1801, it is a registered historical site, the oldest post in the United States Marine Corps and home to the Commandant of the Marine Corps....

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Commandant are outlined in Title 10, Section 5043 the U.S. Code of Law:

"Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of the Navy, the Commandant shall —

preside over the Headquarters, Marine Corps;
transmit the plans and recommendations of the Headquarters, Marine Corps, to the Secretary and advise the Secretary with regard to such plans and recommendations;
after approval of the plans or recommendations of the Headquarters, Marine Corps, by the Secretary, act as the agent of the Secretary in carrying them into effect;
exercise supervision, consistent with the authority assigned to commanders of unified or specified combatant commands under chapter 6 of this title, over such of the members and organizations of the Marine Corps and the Navy as the Secretary determines;
perform the duties prescribed for him by section 171 of this title and other provisions of law;
perform such other military duties, not otherwise assigned by law, as are assigned to him by the President, the Secretary of Defense, or the Secretary of the Navy.

List of Commandants

As of 2008, there have been thirty-four (34) Marine Corps Commandants:

#	Name	Rank	Start of Tenure	End of Tenure
1	NicholasSamuel Nicholas Samuel Nicholas Samuel Nicholas was the first officer commissioned in the United States Continental Marines and by tradition is considered to be the first Commandant of the Marine Corps....	0304Captain / Major Major (United States) In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, major is a field officer United States Military Officer military rank just above the rank of Captain and just below the rank of Lieutenant colonel ....	1775 November 28	1783 August 27
2	BurrowsWilliam W. Burrows	0405Major / Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel (United States) In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, lieutenant colonel is a field officer United States Military Officer military rank just above the rank of Major and just below the rank of Colonel ....	1798 July 12	1804 March 6
3.03	WhartonFranklin Wharton Franklin Wharton File:0043TIARA P1000472.JPGFranklin Wharton was the third Commandant of the Marine Corps of the United States Marine Corps....	0500Lieutenant Colonel	1804 March 7	1818 September 1
3.5	Henderson1Archibald Henderson Archibald Henderson Archibald Henderson was the longest-serving Commandant of the Marine Corps, serving from 1820 to 1859. He is often referred to as the "Grand old man of the Marine Corps," serving in the United States Marine Corps for 53 years.... (acting)	0500Lieutenant Colonel	1818 September 16	1819 March 2
4	GaleAnthony Gale Anthony Gale Anthony Gale was the fourth Commandant of the Marine Corps of the United States Marine Corps and the only one ever fired. Fewer records survive concerning him than any other Commandant but it is known that he was commissioned a second lieutenant#United States on September 2, 1798....	0500Lieutenant Colonel	1819 March 3	1820 October 8
5	Henderson2Archibald Henderson Archibald Henderson Archibald Henderson was the longest-serving Commandant of the Marine Corps, serving from 1820 to 1859. He is often referred to as the "Grand old man of the Marine Corps," serving in the United States Marine Corps for 53 years....	050607Lieutenant Colonel / Colonel Colonel Colonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country in the world. It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures.... / Brevet Brevet (military) In the U.K. and U.S. military, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher Military rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank.... Brigadier General Brigadier general (United States) A brigadier general in the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, is a 1 star rank general officer, with the U.S....	1820 October 17	1859 January 6
6	HarrisJohn Harris John Harris (USMC) John Harris was the sixth Commandant of the Marine Corps. He served in the Marine Corps for over 50 years, attaining the Military rank of Colonel ....	0606Colonel	1859 January 7	1864 May 1
7	ZeilinJacob Zeilin Jacob Zeilin Brigadier General Jacob A. Zeilin was the first United States of America Marine Corps non-brevet general. He served as the seventh Commandant of the Marine Corps of the United States Marine Corps from 1864 to 1876....	0607Colonel / Brigadier General	1864 June 10	1876 October 31
8	McCawleyCharles G. McCawley	0600Colonel	1876 November 1	1891 January 29
9	HeywoodCharles Heywood Charles Heywood Major general Charles Heywood was the ninth Commandant of the Marine Corps....	0708Brigadier General / Major General Major general (United States) In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a 2 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....	1891 June 30	1903 October 2
10	ElliottGeorge F. Elliott George F. Elliott George Frank Elliott was a United States Marine Corps Major general . He was the tenth Commandant of the Marine Corps between 1903 and 1910....	0708Brigadier General / Major General	1903 October 3	1910 November 30
11	BiddleWilliam P. Biddle William P. Biddle Major general William Phillips Biddle was the 11th Commandant of the Marine Corps of the United States Marine Corps....	0800Major General	1911 February 3	1914 February 24
12	BarnettGeorge Barnett George Barnett Major general George Barnett was the 12th Commandant of the Marine Corps of the United States Marine Corps. He was Commandant during the U.S. involvement in World War I....	0800Major General	1914 February 25	1920 June 30
13	LejeuneJohn A. Lejeune John A. Lejeune Lieutenant General John Archer Lejeune, was the 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps. Known as the "greatest of all Leathernecks" and the "Marine's Marine", he served for over 40 years — his service included leading the U.S....	0800Major General	1920 July 1	1929 March 4
14	NevilleWendall C. Neville	0800Major General	1929 March 5	1930 July 8
15	FullerBen H. Fuller	0800Major General	1930 July 9	1933 February 28
16	RussellJohn H. Russell, Jr. John H. Russell, Jr. John Henry Russell, Jr. was a Major general and 16th Commandant of the Marine Corps of the United States Marine Corps. His only child was Brooke Astor, a noted philanthropist....	0800Major General	1934 March 1	1936 November 30
17	HolcombThomas Holcomb Thomas Holcomb General officer Thomas Holcomb was the seventeenth Commandant of the Marine Corps of the United States Marine Corps . He was the first Marine to achieve the rank of General officer....	0809Major General / Lieutenant General Lieutenant General (United States) In the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, lieutenant general is a 3 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....	1936 December 1	1943 December 31
18	VandegriftAlexander A. Vandegrift	0910Lieutenant General / General	1944 January 1	1947 December 31
19	CatesClifton B. Cates Clifton B. Cates General officer Clifton Bledsoe Cates , United States Marine Corps, was the 19th Commandant of the Marine Corps . He was honored for his heroism during World War I at Battle of Belleau Wood and in World War II for inspired combat leadership at Battle of Iwo Jima....	10General	1948 January 1	1951 December 31
20	ShepherdLemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. Lemuel Cornick Shepherd, Jr. was a 4 star rank General of the United States Marine Corps. A veteran of World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, he was the 20th Commandant of the Marine Corps....	10General	1952 January 1	1955 December 31
21	PateRandolph M. Pate Randolph M. Pate General Randolph McCall Pate was the twenty-first Commandant of the United States Marine Corps of the United States Marine Corps from 1956 to 1959....	10General	1956 January 1	1959 December 31
22	ShoupDavid M. Shoup David M. Shoup General officer David Monroe Shoup was a World War II Medal of Honor recipient and the twenty-second Commandant of the Marine Corps of the United States Marine Corps ....	10General	1960 January 1	1963 December 31
23	GreeneWallace M. Greene, Jr.	10General	1965 January 1	1967 December 31
24	ChapmanLeonard F. Chapman, Jr. Leonard F. Chapman, Jr. Leonard Fielding Chapman, Jr. was the 24th Commandant of the Marine Corps and served in that capacity from 1968 to 1972. He was World War II combat veteran — being decorated for his actions in the Battle of Peleliu and the Battle of Okinawa....	10General	1968 January 1	1971 December 31
25	CushmanRobert Everton Cushman, Jr.	10General	1972 January 1	1975 June 30
26	WilsonLouis H. Wilson, Jr. Louis H. Wilson, Jr. General Louis Hugh Wilson, Jr. was a World War II recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Guam , and 26th Commandant of the Marine Corps....	10General	1975 July 1	1979 June 30
27	BarrowRobert H. Barrow Robert H. Barrow General Robert Hilliard Barrow was the 27th Commandant of the Marine Corps of the United States Marine Corps from 1979 to 1983. Barrow served for 41 years, including overseas command duty in three wars....	10General	1979 July 1	1983 June 30
28	KelleyPaul X. Kelley Paul X. Kelley General officer Paul Xavier Kelley was the twenty-eighth Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, from July 1, 1983 to June 30, 1987.Kelley served 37 years active duty in the Marine Corps....	10General	1983 July 1	1987 June 30
29	GrayAlfred M. Gray, Jr. Alfred M. Gray, Jr. Alfred M. Gray, Jr. , is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the twenty-ninth Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1987-91....	10General	1987 July 1	1991 June 30
30	MundyCarl E. Mundy, Jr.	10General	1991 July 1	1995 June 30
31	KrulakCharles C. Krulak Charles C. Krulak General officer Charles Chandler Krulak served as the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps from July 1, 1995 to June 30, 1999. He is the son of Lt....	10General	1995 July 1	1999 June 30
32	JonesJames L. Jones James L. Jones James Logan Jones Jr. is the current National Security Advisor and a retired United States Marine Corps 4-star rank General .During his military career, he served as Commander, United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe from 2003 to 2006 and as the 32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps from July 1999 to January 200...	10General	1999 July 1	2003 January 12
33	HageeMichael W. Hagee	10General	2003 January 13	2006 November 13
34	ConwayJames T. Conway James T. Conway General James Terry Conway, United States Marine Corps is the 34th and current Commandant of the Marine Corps. Among his previous postings were Director of Operations on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Commanding General of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force from 2002 through 2004 taking part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and Opera...	10General	2006 November 14	Incumbent Incumbent The incumbent, in politics, is the holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent....

Commandant of the Marine Corps

Responsibilities

List of Commandants

See also