President Joe Biden has nominated a highly decorated Marine officer who’s been involved in the transformation of the force to be the next commandant of the Marine Corps
President Joe Biden has nominated a highly decorated Marine officer who has been involved in the transformation of the force to be the next Marine Corps commandant.
The nomination of Gen. Eric Smith, now the assistant commandant, had been widely expected and has been forwarded to the Senate. The current top Marine, Gen. David Berger, is wrapping up his four-year term and preparing to retire.
Smith, a career infantry officer, has commanded at every level, serving multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, including time in Fallujah and Ramadi during heavy combat in 2004 and 2005 in Operation Iraq Freedom. He later was the senior military adviser to Defense Secretary Ash Carter and in in 2019 took over as the deputy commandant for combat development.
In that post, Smith worked with Berger on a broad campaign to transform the Marine Corps to better be able to fight amphibious wars in the Pacific after years of battling terrorist groups in the Middle East. The plan was lauded by many in the Pentagon and Congress as a critical way for the Marines to prepare for a potential conflict with China.
Smith and Berger argued that the changes will improve the Marine Corps’ ability to fight in contested areas, particularly within striking range of an enemy.
