The official battle colors of the Corps were passed over to Assistant Commandant Gen. Eric Smith during a ceremony on Monday morning to mark the conclusion of Gen. David Berger’s four-year tenure as commander. However, the ceremony’s narrator did not read the orders for Smith to assume leadership of the Marine Corps, even when Berger handed the colors to him.
This is because, for the first time since 1910, there is no Senate-confirmed commandant of the Marine Corps at the helm of the service. Eric will, however, be given the authority of a certified Marine commandant.
Who is Eric Smith?
General Eric M. Smith of the United States Marine Corps has been the Marine Corps’ 36th associate commandant since 8 October 2021 and the Marine Corps’ acting commandant since 10 July 2023. Prior to this, he was the deputy commandant of the Combat Development and Integration before Karsten Heckl took over.
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Smith, who was proposed as the 39th commandant in May, would have to simultaneously fulfill the responsibilities of the No. 1 and No. 2 Marines due to the lack of Senate approval, leaving him without a set individual to whom he can assign assignments. Smith added that in his position as acting commandant, he will concentrate on advancing the Marine Corps’ reform while ensuring that the organization is prepared to respond to international crises.
The planning guidance, which outlines the commandant’s strategic goal for the Corps, will also not be released while Smith serves as acting commandant, he told reporters on June 29. In his capacity as acting commandant, Smith remarked, “I can give guidance to the force, but it does not carry the same weight, quite, as commandants’ planning guidance.”
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Smith stressed on Monday during his remarks at the ceremony that he will continue to be referred to as “assistant commandant of the Marine Corps,” or “ACMC,” until he is officially confirmed. “That is my title and one that I’m proud of,” Smith said. “You can also say ‘Devil Dog,’ ‘Leatherneck,’ ‘Marine’ or ‘Trish’s husband.’ I respond to all — probably most proud of the last.”
