United States Marine Corps Forces Command

The Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command (COMMARFORCOM), headquartered at the Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads in Norfolk, Virginia, commands service retained-operating forces; executes force sourcing and synchronization to affect force generation actions in the provisioning of joint capable Marine Corps forces, and directs deployment planning and execution of service retained-operating forces in support of Combatant Commander (CCDR) and service requirements; serves as Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic (CG FMFLANT) and commands embarked Marine Corps forces; coordinates Marine Corps-Navy integration of operational initiatives and advises CDR U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFF) on support to Marine Corps forces assigned to naval ships, bases, and installations; conducts Service directed operational tasks as required. COMMARFORCOM is also the Commander, Marine Corps Forces Northern Command (MARFORNORTH), the Marine service component command of U.S. Northern Command.

United States Marine Corps Forces Command
Active	13 July 1992 – present (as Marine Corps Forces Atlantic)
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Type	Marine Combined arms
Role	Amphibious and expeditionary warfare
Garrison/HQ	Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads Norfolk, VA
Commanders
Commander	LtGen Roberta L. Shea
Deputy Commander	BGen Thomas M. Armas
Sergeant Major	SgtMaj Aaron G. McDonald
Insignia
Marine Corps Forces Northern Command

History

It was established on 13 July 1992 as Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic (MARFORLANT), and was renamed Marine Corps Forces Command on 30 December 2005. Between 1994 and 1997 its headquarters was briefly moved to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, before returning to Norfolk. The Commander of Marine Forces Atlantic (since 2005 the Marine Corps Forces Command) is also simultaneously the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic (FMFLANT).^[1]

During the 1990s, Marine Forces Atlantic was one of the two active field commands of the Marine Corps, along with the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific (MARFORPAC). The Commander of MARFORLANT (and later MARFORCOM) was also simultaneously the Commander-designate of Marine Corps Forces Europe (MARFOREUR) and Marine Corps Forces South (MARFORSOUTH), while the Commander of MARFORPAC was the Commander-designate for Marine Corps Forces Central Command (MARCENT) and Marine Corps Forces Korea (MARFORK).^[2] The "designate" commands had a minimal staff during peacetime that would be activated and become part of a larger component command in the event of a war.^[3]

In 2015, both Marine Forces Europe/Africa and Marine Forces South became fully independent headquarters with dedicated commanders.^[4][5]

In 2020, the responsibility for leading Marine Corps Forces Northern Command (MARFORNORTH) was transferred to the commander of MARFORCOM, after previously being held by the commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.^[6][7]

Organization

As COMMARFORCOM, commands Service retained-operational forces. As CG FMFLANT, commands Service retained-operational forces embarked aboard Naval shipping. As COMMARFORNORTH, advises the U.S. Northern Command on the usage of Marine Corps forces in homeland defense operations.

• Status and Command Relationships. MARFORCOM is a Service retained component headquarters with the following command relationships.
  • COMMARFORCOM reports to the Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC).
  • COMMARFORCOM commands and exercises administrative control (ADCON) of the following subordinate commands:
    • II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF)
    • Headquarters and Service Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command (HQSVCBN)
    • Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group (MCSCG)
    • Marine Corps Security Force Regiment (MCSFR)
    • Marine Corps Embassy Security Group (MCESG)
    • Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF)
    • Marine Corps Information Command (MARCOR INFOCOM). The Commander of Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command serves as the Commanding General (CG) of MARCOR INFOCOM.

List of commanders

No.	Commander[8]		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term length
Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic
1		Keys, William M.Lieutenant General William M. Keys (born 1937)	July 1991	30 June 1994	~2 years, 364 days
2		Johnston, Robert B.Lieutenant General Robert B. Johnston (1941–2023)	1 July 1994	August 1995	~1 year, 31 days
3		Wilhelm, Charles E.Lieutenant General Charles E. Wilhelm (born 1941)	August 1995	23 November 1997	~2 years, 114 days
4		Pace, PeterLieutenant General Peter Pace (born 1945)	23 November 1997	8 September 2000	2 years, 290 days
5		Ayres, Raymond P.Lieutenant General Raymond P. Ayres (born 1944)	8 September 2000	15 August 2002	1 year, 341 days
6		Berndt, Martin R.Lieutenant General Martin R. Berndt (born 1941)	15 August 2002	15 August 2005	3 years, 0 days
7		Blackman, Robert R. Jr.Lieutenant General Robert R. Blackman Jr. (born 1948)	15 August 2005	18 July 2007	1 year, 337 days
Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces Command
8		Weber, Joseph F.Lieutenant General Joseph F. Weber (born 1950)	18 July 2007[9]	1 August 2008	1 year, 14 days
9		Natonski, Richard F.Lieutenant General Richard F. Natonski (born 1951)	1 August 2008	17 August 2010	2 years, 16 days
10		Hejik, Dennis J.Lieutenant General Dennis J. Hejlik (born 1947)	17 August 2010[10]	20 July 2012[11]	1 year, 338 days
11		Paxton, John M. Jr.Lieutenant General John M. Paxton Jr. (born 1951)	20 July 2012[11]	13 December 2012[12]	146 days
-		Crowe, W. BlakeBrigadier General W. Blake Crowe (born 1967) Acting	13 December 2012	28 June 2013	197 days
12		Tryon, Richard T.Lieutenant General Richard T. Tryon (born c. 1954)	28 June 2013[13]	1 July 2014	1 year, 3 days
13		Neller, Robert B.Lieutenant General Robert B. Neller (born 1953)	1 July 2014	23 September 2015	1 year, 84 days
-		Gering, Bradford J.Brigadier General Bradford J. Gering (born 1967) Acting	23 September 2015	18 December 2015	86 days
14		Wissler, John E.Lieutenant General John E. Wissler (born 1956)	18 December 2015[14]	14 August 2017	1 year, 239 days
15		Brilakis, Mark A.Lieutenant General Mark A. Brilakis (born 1958)	14 August 2017[15]	3 July 2019	1 year, 323 days
16		Hedelund, Robert F.Lieutenant General Robert F. Hedelund (born 1961)	3 July 2019[16]	25 October 2021	2 years, 114 days
-		Langley, Michael E.Major General Michael E. Langley (born c. 1963) Acting	25 October 2021	3 November 2021	9 days
17		Langley, Michael E.Lieutenant General Michael E. Langley (born c. 1963)	3 November 2021[17]	4 August 2022	274 days
-		Kelliher, John F. IIIBrigadier General John F. Kelliher III Acting	4 August 2022	30 August 2022	26 days
18		Cavanaugh, Brian W.Lieutenant General Brian W. Cavanaugh (born 1968)	30 August 2022[18]	6 August 2024	1 year, 342 days
19		Shea, Roberta L.Lieutenant General Roberta L. Shea (born c. 1967)	6 August 2024	Incumbent	98 days

See also

U.S. Armed Forces operations commands

• United States Army Forces Command
• United States Fleet Forces Command
• Air Combat Command
• Space Operations Command

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps.

1. MARINE CORPS FORCES COMMAND. Marine Corps University. Published 6 June 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
2. Current Operations. Headquarters Marine Corps, 6 April 1998.
3. History of Marine Forces Europe and Africa. U.S. Marines. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
4. Hodge Seck, Hope (30 June 2015). 1-star becomes first dedicated commander of Marine Forces South. Military Times. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
5. Beardsley, Steven (18 August 2015). Marines to place Europe-Africa command under 2-star in Germany. Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
6. TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY OF MARFORNORTH FROM COMMARFORRES TO COMMARFORCOM. U.S. Marines. Published 8 December 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
7. U.S. Marine Corps Forces Northern Command Transfer of Authority to U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Published 8 December 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
8. "Former Commanders". United States Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic. Archived from the original on 2 July 2001. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
9. "Q&A with Lt. Gen. Joseph F. Weber". Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer. October 2007.
10. "Lieutenant General Dennis J. Hejlik, Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command". Archived from the original on 2 December 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
11. Todd, David (25 July 2012). "Hejlik closes out extensive military career; remains true to Marine core values". Military News.
12. McAdam, Scott (13 December 2012). "Paxton Relinquishes Command, MARFORCOM". DVIDS. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
13. "MARFORCOM change of command".
14. "Wissler assumes command of MARFORCOM, FMF Atlantic". U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
15. "NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY HAMPTON ROADS - (Right to left) Lt. Gen. John E. Wissler, Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command, passes the unit colors to Lt. Gen. Mark A. Brilakis during a change of command ceremony at POW/MIA Field aboard Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads, Aug. 14. Lt. Gen. Wissler assumed command of MARFORCOM in December 2015. Lt. Gen. Brilakis most recently served as the Deputy Commandant of Manpower and Reserve Affairs at Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington D.C." www.marines.mil. 14 August 2017.
16. Braden, Jessika (3 July 2019). "MARFORCOM welcomes new commanding general". DVIDS.
17. "Lieutenant General Michael E. Langley". U.S. Marine Corps. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
18. Alvarado, Angel (30 August 2022). "The Incoming Commander [Image 4 of 13]". DVIDS. Norfolk, Virginia: Fleet Marine Force Atlantic, Marine Forces Command, Marine Forces Northern Command. Retrieved 31 August 2022.

• "Marine Forces Command website". United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 14 September 2011.