Gen. Eric Smith, assistant commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, assumed additional duties as acting commandant of the service branch following Gen. David Berger’s retirement after more than four decades in service and four years at the helm of USMC, USNI News reported Monday.
The Senate has yet to confirm Smith, who testified before the upper chamber in mid-June with regard to his nomination to the USMC commandant role. He is the first acting commandant since 1910.
“Because no 39th commandant has yet been confirmed by the Senate, I will perform the duties of the commandant using the full authority of that office until such time as a confirmation occurs,” Smith said in a video message after the relinquishment of command ceremony.
Smith said he will focus on advancing the service’s overhaul efforts and ensuring the force’s readiness to respond to crises worldwide, according to a report by the Marine Corps Times.
“I still retain the authorities of the office of the commandant, so as far as budgetary, experimentation, changing formations, I can still do all that,” the general said. “And those things that are working well for us — long-range fires, et cetera — we will move faster on them as long as we have a defense budget.”
