I couldnt believe he remembered me, Corporal Sams said. He thus became the first Marine to serve in the grade of general. Dates listed are for the officer's full tenure, which may predate promotion to three-star rank or postdate retirement from active duty. Colonel Hendersons nomination for promotion comes at a fraught time for the American military as a whole, and for the Marines in particular. Nominations that are not withdrawn are allowed to expire without action at the end of the legislative session.[63]. Some have attributed this to a tendency to speak his mind, which, while often a hurdle for promotion in a culture that prizes team players, carries some ugly historical baggage when applied to a Black man. That story electrified Marines fighting in Afghanistan at the time, and has been told and retold. [56], Military nominations are considered by the Senate Armed Services Committee. In all the services, simply making colonel/captain is a signifier of elite accomplishment. U.S. Marine Corps / Lance Cpl. Two months later, he woke up in his bed in the intensive care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in suburban Washington, and saw Colonel Henderson, alone, standing over him. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal Other exceptions exist for non-active duty or reserve appointments, as well as other circumstances. [23][24] Lejeune lobbied Congress to extend tombstone promotions to officers who had retired before 1938, and finally received his third star in April 1942. Yet even this explanation is problematic. Since the Marines first admitted African-American troops in 1942, the last military service to do so, only 25 have obtained the rank of general in any form. [32], Congress finally declared in 1977 that up to 15 percent of all active-duty Marine Corps general officers could be lieutenant generals or generals even without an emergency, after the 1976 National Emergencies Act terminated all existing national emergencies, effective 14 September 1978, which would have eliminated five of the seven lieutenant generals then on active duty.[33]. Vernice Armour first female African-American combat pilot in United States military . Any general who actually served in a grade while on active duty receives precedence on the retirement list over any tombstone general holding the same retired grade. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a sale of your data under the CCPA. In 2013, the branch released a photo of its six four-star generals, all gathered in desert camouflage at the commandants home at the Marine Barracks in Washington: John F. Kelly, Jim Mattis, Joseph F. Dunford Jr., James F. Amos, John R. Allen and John M. Paxton. After more than 35 years in the US Marine Corps., Lt. Gen. Michael Langley is set to be the first Black general to achieve one of the branch's highest rankings. The things not in his record are what have kept Colonel Henderson from getting that star, he said in an interview. Officers of flag rank and senior enlisted leaders of the Marine Corps on active duty as of March 2020. added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. Commandants of the Marine Corps page for Notable Graduates at USNA.edu. The commanders directly advise the defense secretary and the president. Brown, Jr. became the first Black service chief just last month. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. Commandant of the Marine Corps. Only 25 African-Americans in the Marines have reached general in any form. [36] The exceptions were Keller E. Rockey and Robert H. Pepper, who preferred to revert to major general rather than retire at the end of their three-star assignments;[37] Thomas E. Watson, who relinquished command of Fleet Marine Force, Pacific for an assignment at Headquarters Marine Corps, but retired for ill health only three months later;[38] Merwin H. Silverthorn, who was too young to retire for age when his three-star assignment ended and Congress had suspended early retirements;[39] and Verne J. McCaul, who chose to sacrifice a fourth star to stay on active duty until the new commandant took office two months after tombstone promotions ended. To be sure, it is only recently that the Corps has had four-star officers in any abundance. Not one has made it to the top four-star rank, an honor the Marines have bestowed on 72 white men. choices) and/or to monitor site performance. Critics of how the Marine Corps has handled its Black officers say the service has a race problem that is rooted in decades of resistance to change. 1979 February 23 First African American Marine Corps General is Frank E. Petersen. He was a rifle platoon commander and was promoted to captain six years after joining the Marines. List of United States Marine Corps lieutenant generals since 2010, Statutory limits, elevations and reductions, Act of August 7, 1947 [Officer Personnel Act of 1947] (61, Acts of September 14, 1976 [National Emergencies Act] (90, Acts of October 18, 1951 [Department of Defense Appropriation Act, 1952] (65, Act of July 17, 1953 [Private Law 92] (67, Act of May 5, 1954 [Officer Grade Limitation Act of 1954] (68. Director, Command, Control, Communications and Computers/Cyber and Chief Information Officer, For example, the Senate declined to schedule a vote for Major General. Alexander Vandergrift, who became Commandant in 1944, was the services first four-star. Names in this list are notable for actions made as a Marine; individuals whose notability is unrelated to service in uniform can be found at List of United States Marines. Anyone can read what you share. At the President's behest, the House Military Affairs Committee approved only the four-star promotion for the chief of staff. ensure the proper functioning of our The Act of Congress of March 4, 1925, allowed officers in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard to be promoted one grade upon retirement if they had been specially commended for performance of duty in actual combat. List of active duty United States Marine Corps major generals, U.S. Marine Corps Judge Advocate Division, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, U.S. Marine Forces Special Operations Command, Program Executive Officer for Air Anti-Submarine Warfare, Assault and Special Mission Programs, List of active duty United States four-star officers, List of active duty United States three-star officers, List of active duty United States Army major generals, List of active duty United States rear admirals, List of active duty United States Air Force major generals, List of active duty United States Space Force general officers, List of active duty United States senior enlisted leaders and advisors, List of current United States National Guard major generals, List of United States Army four-star generals, List of United States Marine Corps four-star generals, List of United States Navy four-star admirals, List of United States Air Force four-star generals, List of United States Coast Guard four-star admirals, "Marine Corps General Officers and Senior Enlisted Leaders", "PN2799 Marine Corps, 117th Congress (2021-2022)", "PN1429 Marine Corps, 117th Congress (2021-2022)", "Marine Aviator Major General James H. Adams Is Armed Forces Day Keynote Speaker; Parade Includes 9-School Mass Band, ROTC Units", "Maj. Gen Salene Promotion [Image 4 of 4]", "J5 Strategic Planning and Policy Directorate", "Michael J. Borgschulte - Manpower Management, M&RA, Headquarters Marine Corps", "RESERVE AFFAIRS DIVISION (RA) REORGANIZATION", "FISCAL YEAR 2023 BILLET ASSIGNMENTS FOR RESERVE SERGEANTS MAJOR AND FIRST SERGEANTS FOR INITIAL AND SUBSEQUENT TOURS", "Marine Corps General Officers and Senior Enlisted Leaders, May 2021", "Commanding General, MAGTF Training Command, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center", "Maj. Gen. Austin 'Sparky' Renforth, Wheeling Native, To Retire", "Commanding General, Marine Corps Installations Pacific", "Yesterday, I changed command of the Joint Forces Staff College", "Commanding General, Marine Corps Logistics Command", "Marine Corps Information Command to be activated in FY23, commanded by the service's cyber and space leader", "Marine Corps Forces Space Command is here", "Leadership - Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command", "Major General King Assumes Command of Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa", "MARSOC bids farewell to Maj. Gen. James F. Glynn", "Commanding General, Third Marine Aircraft Wing", "Cherry Point to hold change of command ceremony for major general Thursday", "Commanding General - Major General Eric E. Austin", "Program Executive Office Air Anti-Submarine Warfare, Assault & Special Mission", Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_active_duty_United_States_Marine_Corps_major_generals&oldid=1149740743, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. African-American U.S. Marine Corps' General Officers African-American U.S. Marine Corps' General Officers by Herbert Booker. King, opposed promoting more Marines to that rank, but King relented after Alexander A. Vandegrift, recently awarded the Medal of Honor for the Battle of Guadalcanal, was assigned to command the first Marine amphibious corps and slated to succeed Holcomb as commandant. It is common practice in the Marine Corps to dual-hat operational commands under a single commander to remain under the statutory limit for three-star positions, and shifting them around if necessary to facilitate efficient command and control of Marine units. Hes an individual who will work above and beyond what is required. John R. Allen, USMC James F. Amos. In 1942, it led the first Black recruits to the Marines. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Join now and never hit a limit. It is conceivable that the explanation is something other than racial bias. That year, the Pentagons inspector general reported that General Uribe violated ethics rules when he requested or allowed his aide to pick up his laundry, deliver meals, arrange for delivery of his prescription toothpaste to Iraq and handle his personal correspondence. of the site will not work as intended if you do so. Since Cates was senior, Truman appointed Cates first and promised to appoint Shepherd next. [52] Internationally-based three-star positions include the United States military representative to the NATO Military Committee (USMILREP) and the security coordinator for the Palestinian National Authority in Israel. All 63 achieved that rank while on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps. Deputy Director for Operations, National Joint Operations/Intelligence Center, Team 3 (J-3). determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and traffic on our website. hhbooker2 The following is a list of the prominent names in U.S. Marine Corps lorethe people who make up what the Marines call "knowledge". The most plausible alternative is the truism across the services (and, indeed, in the civilian world as well) that ducks pick ducks. Leaving aside for a moment that promotion boards generally consist mostly of white men, perhaps their bias is simply toward officers in their own career specialties. US Senate expected to confirm Marines' first Black four-star general Reckless to be dedicated at Kentucky Horse Park on May 12 KyForward.com", "Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Austell Cunningham, USMC", "Colonel and Brevet Brigadier General Archibald Henderson, USMC", "Military Innovator Who Sought New Approach to Battle in Vietnam", Military Secretary to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee, United States Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_historic_United_States_Marines&oldid=1125782524, History of the United States Marine Corps, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 5 December 2022, at 20:39. Repealed statutory requirement for the director of the Missile Defense Agency, if a commissioned officer, to hold grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Black Marines point to what they consider an uneven standard when it comes to promotions for white Marine officers compared with their African-American counterparts. Michelle Howard became the first Black woman to pin on four-star rank in 2014. Gen. Michael Langley becomes the Marine Corps' first Black four-star GEN. DAVID H. BERGER. Colonel Henderson is Black. This page was last edited on 24 March 2023, at 17:25. He declined to speak specifically about Colonel Henderson, 53, citing privacy and personnel concerns. The first Black Marine Corps aviator was the Corps' first Black general As the commander of the First Battalion, Sixth Marine Regiment, Colonel Henderson had to come up with a plan to overrun a Taliban stronghold in the Garmsir District known as Jugroom Fort. [49] Shepherd picked Thomas to succeed Cates, which simultaneously avoided creating another rival for the commandancy, since Thomas was too old to be considered, and freed Thomas' three-star job of assistant commandant and chief of staff for Shepherd's preferred candidate, Randolph M. Pate, who eventually did succeed Shepherd. The highest rank in the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps is General (four star), followed by Lieutenant General (three star), Major General (two star) and Brigadier General (one star). Professor, Marine Corps Universitys Command and Staff College. and analytics partners. For that matter, so is the officer corps writ large, andfew Marines will ever meet a general. Tony Henderson has done everything you could do in the Marines except get a hand salute from Jesus Christ himself, said Milton D. Whitfield Sr., a former Marine gunnery sergeant who served for 21 years. Positions listed without reference to rank are assumed to be eligible for officers of three-star grade or higher. References. All 63 achieved that rank while on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps. Colonel Hendersons career in the Marine Corps had in the meantime proceeded at a brisk pace, as he carried out one high-profile assignment after another. The number of officers in the Marine Corps (per the 2017 NDAA) who may hold the grade of lieutenant general after subtracting the two officers holding the grade of general is 15. And now they continue to hold onto that 1950s vision of who Marines are.. Thats an acknowledgement thatimplicit bias may well have been present. Publication date 2016-07-01 Topics Lieutenant General Frank E. Petersen, Major General Charles F. Bolden Jr., Major General Arnold Fields, Major General Clifford L. Stanley, Major General Leo V. Williams III, Sermper Fi! In 2012, four years after serving under Colonel Henderson, Corporal Sams, then on his third deployment, stepped on a roadside bomb in Helmand Province. When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect Not one has made it to the top four-star rank, an honor the Marines have, so far, bestowed solely on white men 72 of them. The Office of the Commandant was permanently fixed at the grade of four-star general under authority of the Act of August 7, 1947. Lieutenant generals entered the Marine Corps via several paths: 36 via Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) at a civilian . Early promotions to these wartime grades therefore rewarded past personal triumphsGuadalcanal for Vandegrift and Tarawa for Smithas much as future organizational efficiency.[26]. The guy is smart, forceful, not a braggart, but when you are in his presence, he is very confident, and probably withering to certain people, and they feel intimidated.. It was defended by about 200 to 400 Taliban members who had been fighting the British in Helmand Province, a new flash point in the war. Following the death of Gen. Omar Bradley in 1981, the elite rank of five-star general feels more like a legend than reality. Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies, Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the The Marine Corps actually has given this a great deal of thought because we have struggled with the issue of diversity, said Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., one of three four-star Marine generals serving today. General Officer Announcements > U.S. Department of Defense > Release So, not only has the opportunity for Marines, regardless of color, to make four-star rank been extremely limited but it has been biased toward infantry officers. performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. [28][29], Unlike Holcomb, whose three-star rank was an aspect of his office of commandant, Vandegrift and Smith held personal three-star grades that followed them regardless of assignment, as did every other temporary lieutenant general appointed before the Officer Personnel Act of 1947 made all three-star ranks ex officio. If he does not make it the results will not be announced for months his acquaintances say he is likely to leave the Marines. Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, whose father is a second-generation Japanese-American, leads the United States Cyber Command. List of United States Marine Corps three-star generals since 2010 To the Marine, then 22, Colonel Henderson stood out like an action figure. to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Black Marine recruits receiving equipment at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina in 1943. (1934 ) Associate Deputy Administrator, (1953 ) Special Presidential Envoy for the. Reverted to lieutenant general, Jan 1952; retired as general, Jun 1954. Scott C. Black Daniel P. Bolger Dana Born William G. Boykin . The rank of lieutenant general (or three-star general) is the second-highest rank in the Marine Corps, and the first to have a specific number of authorized positions for it set by statute. Dates listed are for the officer's full tenure, which may predate promotion to four-star rank or postdate retirement from active duty. One lieutenant general commanded Marines deployed overseas under Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, and a second lieutenant general commanded Marines being readied for deployment under Marine Training and Replacement Command. Recruitment of black men for the Marine Corps started on June 1, 1942, a year after the order . [50] Senior staff officers under the Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) directly reporting to the commandant and/or the assistant commandant may also hold the rank of lieutenant general. Positions held in an acting capacity are italicized. Col. Anthony Henderson, commanding officer 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, receives the Legion of Merit award on Camp Pendleton, California, Dec. 15, 2016. The organization supports educational assistance programs . He has described commanding Marines in southern Afghanistan in the most vicious fighting he had ever seen. His promotion has already led to some chatter among members of the Marine Corps that the attention generated by The Times article prompted a promotion process to finally approve his nomination. He did not spend his time barking at his Marines about grooming standards or attire and instead barked at them about how to stay alive. The Commanders: Admirals and Generals in the United States Military Sign up to get updates about new releases and event invitations. We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by Gen. Charles Q. All six have garnered respect across the political spectrum. Langley is one of just half a dozen Black Marine generals. Who Were the Montford Point Marines? - JSTOR Daily Black people make up 22.7% of enlisted soldiers, 16.5% of warrant officers and 11% of officers on active duty as of July. The following list of Congressional legislation includes all acts of Congress pertaining to appointments to the grade of lieutenant general in the United States Marine Corps since 2010.[q]. tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. web pages Director, Strategic Planning and Policy (J-5), Director, Manpower Management Division, Office of the Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (M&RA), Director, Reserve Affairs Division (RA), Office of the Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (M&RA), Director, Operations Division, Office of the Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations (PP&O), Commanding General, Marine Air-Ground Task Force Training Command (MAGTFTC) and, Inspector General of the Marine Corps (IGMC). All nominees for three-star rank must be confirmed via majority by the Senate before the appointee can take office and thus assume the rank.[53]. But that photo makes me feel like theyre saying, None of you all are good enough to get to the high levels of authority or leadership. And Im ashamed.. Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) Major General. Of these, 56 achieved that rank while on active duty, 17 were promoted upon retirement in . By all accounts, Colonel Henderson does not do that. [47]) At Cates' request, Shepherd gave him the three-star job commanding Marine Corps Schools, repaying his support for Shepherd's succession. [54] However, the President[54] may designate up to 15 additional three-star appointments, with the condition that for every service branch allotted such additional three-star appointments, an equivalent number must be reduced from other service branches. browser. Lance Cpl. Activism That Led to the First Black Marines - History If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a BBC News reported we pushed 170 firefights in the first 35 days. Petersen was promoted to command a fighter squadron, a Marine Aircraft Group, a Marine Aircraft Wing and a major Marine Corps installation. There have been 74 four-star generals in the history of the United States Marine Corps. Additionally, you may contact our legal But of the 42 most senior commanders in the military those with four-star ranks in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard only two are Black: Gen. Charles Q. In The Marine Corps' First Black . VIEW BIO. It ranks above major general (two-star general) and below general (four-star general). Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. There have been 63 lieutenant generals in the United States Marine Corps since 1 January 2010, 7 of whom were promoted to four-star general. Brown Jr., the Air Force chief of staff, and Gen. Michael X. Garrett, who leads the Army Forces Command. If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have Current and former Marine Corps officials point to Colonel Hendersons personality as an explanation for why he has been passed over, including what they call his tendency to speak his mind traits that have not disqualified white Marine colonels. may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other Jaclyn Diaz. He is the first African-American to hold the top job in the Air Force. Charles F. Bolden Jr., who would go on to command two Space Shuttle missions before becoming the first African-American to lead NASA, received only two stars in the Marines. Tyler Byther. Col. Anthony Henderson, center, receiving the Legion of Merit award at Camp Pendleton in California in 2016. Five years later, in 2000, he made major. Lt. Gen. Michael Langley becomes Marines' first Black four-star general Effective today, the Marine Corps haseliminated the official photographfrom the personnel filethat goes before promotion boards. Positions listed are those held by the officer when promoted to lieutenant general. We will keep fighting for all libraries - stand with us! You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts Officers of flag rank and senior enlisted leaders of the Marine Corps on active duty. [40], Lieutenant general appointments were inextricably tied to the politics of commandant succession. Generals of the United States Marine Corps, Female generals of the United States Marine Corps, Assistant Commandants of the United States Marine Corps, United States Marine Corps World War I generals, United States Marine Corps World War II generals, List of active duty United States Marine Corps major generals, List of United States Marine Corps four-star generals, Commanding General, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (U.S.), Commanding General, Marine Corps Installations East (U.S.), Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:United_States_Marine_Corps_generals&oldid=951877110, Template Category TOC via CatAutoTOC on category with 601900 pages, CatAutoTOC generates standard Category TOC, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 April 2020, at 10:19.