Eric M. Smith (born December 8, 1965) is a

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

four-star

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

who has served as the 39th

commandant of the Marine Corps Commandant of the Marine Corps may refer to: * Commandant of the Marine Corps (Indonesia) * Commandant of the Netherlands Marine Corps * Commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps * Commandant of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps * Commandant of th ...

since 22 September 2023. He served as acting commandant of the Marine Corps between 10 July 2023 and 22 September 2023 while awaiting Senate confirmation. Before nomination to the position he served as the 36th

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 the assistant to ...

and before that as the deputy commandant for Combat Development and Integration, being succeeded by

Karsten Heckl Karsten Selby Heckl (born September 2, 1964) is a retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant general who last served as the deputy commandant for combat development and integration and commanding general of the Marine Corps Combat Development ...

Early life and education

Eric Smith is from

Plano, Texas Plano ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "flat surface" /'plano/) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, where it is the largest city in Collin County, Texas, Collin County. A small portion of Plano is located in Denton County, Texas, Denton Count ...

. Smith was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the

Marine Corps Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included raiding ashore (often in supp ...

in 1987 through the

Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps The Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. Origins A pilot Naval Reserve unit was established in September 1924 ...

program at

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

. During his time at A&M, he was a member of the Ross Volunteers and Commander of the

Fightin' Texas Aggie Band The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band (also known as the Noble Men of Kyle Field, Kyle or just the Aggie Band) is the official marching band of Texas A&M University. Composed of over 400 men and women from the school's Texas A&M University Corps of Cade ...

in the

Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets The Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets (often The Corps of Cadets, or simply the Corps) is a student military organization at Texas A&M University. Established with the university in 1876, it is the oldest student organization on campus. Student ...

Career

After completing

The Basic School The Basic School (TBS) is where all newly commissioned and appointed (for warrant officers) United States Marine Corps officers are taught the basics of being an "Officer of Marines." The Basic School is located in Stafford County, Virginia to ...

and Infantry Officer's Course, he received assignment to

2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines (2/3) was an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii consisting of approximately 1,000 Marines and sailors. The battalion fell under the command of the 3rd Marine Reg ...

as rifle platoon commander participating in

Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

. Following a tour as an Officer Selection Officer, he attended the Amphibious Warfare School and then reported to

2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines 2d Battalion, 2d Marines (2/2) is a light infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Also known as "The Warlords", it consists of approximately 1,000 marines and sailors and ...

for duty as Commanding Officer of Weapons and E Companies. During this tour he participated in Operation Assured Response in Monrovia, Liberia. After a tour as a Marine Officer Instructor at Texas A&M University, he attended the

United States Army Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

. The following assignment was as the Naval Section Chief at the U.S. Military Group in Caracas, Venezuela from 2001 to 2003. He was a foreign area officer and can speak

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

.Hodge Seck, Hope (30 June 2015)
1-star becomes first dedicated commander of Marine Forces South
''

Military Times Sightline Media Group, formerly Gannett Government Media and Army Times Publishing Company, is a United States company that publishes newspapers, magazines, websites, and other publications about the U.S. and other militaries. The company's '' ...

''. Retrieved 22 September 2023. From 2003 until 2006, Smith served in the

1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine E ...

as the Division Operations Officer; Executive Officer of Regimental Combat Team 1; Commanding Officer of

1st Battalion, 5th Marines 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (1/5) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California consisting of approximately 800 Marines and sailors. Nicknamed ''Geronimo'', it falls under the ...

. During this time, had several deployments to Iraq in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...

, including

Fallujah Fallujah ( ) is a city in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq. Situated on the Euphrates, Euphrates River, it is located roughly to the west of the capital city of Baghdad and from the neighboring city of Ramadi. The city is located in the region ...

in 2004 and Ramadi in 2005. He has also served in the

2nd Marine Division The 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina a ...

as the Assistant Chief of Staff and the Commanding Officer of

8th Marine Regiment The 8th Marine Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. When last active, it was based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and fell under the command of the 2nd Marine Division and the II Marine Expedi ...

, which was deployed to Afghanistan and was involved in

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...

. From July to November 2015, he commanded the Marine Corps Forces Southern Command in

Miami, Florida Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

. He was the first dedicated commander of Marine Forces South at its Miami headquarters. Then he was transferred to

the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As ...

to serve as the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. As a major general, Smith assumed command of the

First Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF). It is the ...

at Camp Pendleton. The division is part of the larger

I Marine Expeditionary Force The I Marine Expeditionary Force ("I" pronounced "One") is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) of the United States Marine Corps primarily composed of the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and 1st Marine Logistics Group. It i ...

. As commander, he led a hazing crackdown but was rebuked by a military judge. In May 2018, Smith was nominated for promotion to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

, and assignment as commanding general of

III Marine Expeditionary Force III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) is a formation of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps. It is forward-deployed and able to rapidly conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and ...

. He received his promotion and assumed command of III MEF in August 2018. On 13 June 2019, Smith assumed responsibility as the Commanding General,

Marine Corps Combat Development Command The Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC), located at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Prince William County, Virginia, is a major command of the United States Marine Corps (USMC), which has the mission of supporting the development of ...

and the Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration. In July 2021, he was nominated and confirmed for promotion to

four-star general Military star ranking is military terminology, used in mainly English speaking countries, to describe general and flag officers. Within NATO's armed forces, the stars are equal to OF-6–10. Star ranking One-star A one-star rank is usually ...

and assignment as

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 the assistant to ...

, succeeding Gary L. Thomas. He assumed the position from the retiring Gary L. Thomas on 8 October 2021. In May 2023, Smith was nominated to succeed General David H. Berger as commandant of the Marine Corps; his confirmation hearing before the

Senate Armed Services Committee The Committee on Armed Services, sometimes abbreviated SASC for Senate Armed Services Committee, is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the Department of Defen ...

was held on 13 June 2023. Smith became acting commandant upon Berger's retirement on 10 July 2023, as his confirmation was delayed by Senator

Tommy Tuberville Thomas Hawley Tuberville (; born September 18, 1954) is an American politician and retired college football coach who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from Alabama, a seat he has held since 2021. Before ...

hold Hold may refer to: Physical spaces * Hold (compartment), interior cargo space * Baggage hold, cargo space on an airplane * Stronghold, a castle or other fortified place Arts, entertainment, and media * Hold (musical term), a pause, also called ...

on military nominees. He was confirmed by a unanimous 96-0 vote on 21 September 2023, and sworn in on 22 September. Gen Eric Smith is Sworn in as the 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps 230922-N-LN643-5325

Gen Eric Smith is Sworn in as the 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps 230922-N-LN643-5325

On 29 October 2023, Smith was hospitalized after a medical emergency. Smith was diagnosed with

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...

. On 9 November, he issued a statement saying, "My recovery is going well, and I look forward to getting back in the fight as soon as I can". As of the time of his swearing in as

Assistant Commandant Assistant Commandant is a title often given to the second-in-command of a military, uniformed service, State Armed Police Forces, armed police battalion, training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations, and in ...

, General Christopher J. Mahoney has been performing General Smiths duties as Commandant of the Marine Corps. Before Mahoney was sworn in on 3 November,

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

was performing the duties of Commandant.

Awards and decorations

References

External links

* , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Eric Assistant Commandants of the United States Marine Corps United States Marine Corps Commandants Living people Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States) Texas A&M University alumni United States Marine Corps generals Military personnel from Kansas City, Missouri United States Marine Corps personnel of the Gulf War United States Marine Corps personnel of the Iraq War United States Marine Corps personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Year of birth missing (living people)