Marine Officer Nominated as Next Commandant, Highly Decorated

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.

A Career of Service and Leadership

• Career infantry officer
• Commanded at every level
• Served multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq
• Senior military adviser to Defense Secretary Ash Carter
• Deputy commandant for combat development

In his role as deputy commandant for combat development, 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. That element is critical in the Indo-Pacific, where thousands of U.S. and allied forces are easily within missile—or even rocket—range of both China and North Korea.

But some of the moves, including the transfer of Marine tanks to the Army, triggered sharp criticism from a group of retired Marine generals.

Defending the Decision to Transfer Marine Tanks to the Army

During a speech at a naval conference in February, Smith defended the decision as critical to modern warfare against highly capable enemies.

“I love tanks, I used them in Iraq, I used them in Afghanistan,” Smith said. But he said they are more vulnerable and can’t move quickly enough to avoid new, high-tech attacks.

“When an enemy can hit a tank 90 kilometers away with long-range fire,” he said, “I can’t move them on time to be in a position to do something that I need them to do … . It’s not that they’re bad, it’s that I can’t afford to use them in my current mission.”

Smith was promoted to four-star general in 2020 and has received numerous awards and decorations throughout his career.