usmc general officer assignments 2022

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General Officer Announcements

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that the president has made the following nominations:

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as deputy commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Quantico, Virginia.  Borgschulte is currently serving as commanding general, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing, San Diego, California.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Roberta L. Shea for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command; commanding general, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic; and commander, Marine Forces North.  Shea is currently serving as the legislative assistant to the commandant of the Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Paul J. Rock Jr. for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as director, Marine Corps Staff, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.  Rock is currently serving as the commandant, National War College, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.

Space Force Brig. Gen. Dennis O. Bythewood for appointment to the grade of major general.  Bythewood is currently serving as the deputy commander, U.S. Space Forces - Space, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. 

Space Force Brig. Gen. James E. Smith for appointment to the grade of major general.  Smith is currently serving as the assistant deputy chief of space operations for Operations, Cyber and Nuclear: and deputy chief operations officer, Office of the Chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 

Air Force Col. Jack R. Arthaud for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Arthaud is currently serving as the deputy director, Operations, Strategic Deterrence, and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces Europe–Air Forces Africa, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. 

Air Force Col. Anthony D. Babcock for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Babcock is currently serving as chief, Aircraft Maintenance Division, Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Air Force Col. Catherine V. Barrington for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Barrington is currently serving as the military assistant to the deputy secretary of defense, Office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Air Force Col. Ariel G. Batungbacal for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Batungbacal is currently serving as the commander, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. 

Air Force Col. Cassius T. Bentley III for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Bentley is currently serving as the deputy director, Strategic Plans, Programs and Logistics, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

Air Force Col. John A. Cluck for appointment to the grade of brigadier general. Cluck is currently serving as the wing commander, 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard, Missouri.

Air Force Col. Michael D. Curry for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Curry is currently serving as the director, Secretary of the Air Force; and chief of staff of the Air Force Executive Action Group, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 

Air Force Col. Lindsay C. Droz for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Droz is currently serving as the director of staff, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. 

Air Force Col. Mason R. Dula for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Dula is currently serving as the executive officer to the commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.  

Air Force Col. Todd R. Dyer for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Dyer is currently serving as the division chief, Futures and Concepts Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Air Force Col. Travis L. Edwards for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Edwards is currently serving as the deputy director, Operations, Strategic Deterrence & Nuclear Integration, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.  

Air Force Col. Chad R. Ellsworth for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Ellsworth is currently serving as the deputy director, Contested Logistics, Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Air Force Col. Paul G. Filcek for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Filcek is currently serving as the director, Space Force Mission Sustainment Division, Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations, Cyber, and Nuclear, Headquarters U.S. Space Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Air Force Col. Brian A. Filler for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Filler is currently serving as the director, Air Force Colonel Management Office, Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Air Force Col. John B. Gallemore for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Gallemore is currently serving as inspector general, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. 

Air Force Col. Timothy A. Herritage for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Herritage is currently serving as principal deputy director, Air Force Public Affairs, Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Air Force Col. James V. Hewitt for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Hewitt is currently serving as the chief, Legislative Affairs, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort George Meade, Maryland.

Air Force Col. Jay A. Johnson for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Johnson is currently serving as the chief of staff, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.

Air Force Col. Matthew E. Jones for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Jones is currently serving as the division chief, Joint Operations Division Africa Command, Regional Operations Directorate, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.  

Air Force Col. Michele A. Lobianco for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Lobianco is currently serving as the commander, 15th Wing, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

Air Force Col. Sean E. Lowe for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Lowe is currently serving as the commander, 603rd Air Operations Center, U.S. Air Forces Europe–Air Forces Africa, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. 

Air Force Col. Robert P. Lyons III for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Lyons is currently serving as the senior materiel leader, F-35 Air Vehicle Program Management Office, Air Force Material Command, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Air Force Col. Mark A Massaro for appointment to the grade of brigadier general. Air Force Col. Kimberly A. McCue for appointment to the grade of brigadier general. McCue is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the director, Medical Operations, Office of the Air Force Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Falls Church, Virginia. Air Force Col. Craig D. Prather for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Prather is currently serving as the chief of staff, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Florida. 

Air Force Col. Joseph L. Sheffield for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Sheffield is currently serving as the chief, House Liaison Division, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Air Force Col. Andrew J. Steffen for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Steffen is currently serving as the assistant deputy commander, 16th Air Force, Air Combat Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.

Air Force Col. Kristen D. Thompson for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Thompson is currently serving as military fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, New York, New York.

Air Force Col. Brian E. Vaughn for appointment to the grade of brigadier general. Vaughn is currently serving as the wing commander, 187th Fighter Wing, Alabama Air National Guard, Alabama.

Air Force Col. Shane S. Vesely for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Vesely is currently serving as the deputy commander, U.S. Special Operations Command Pacific, Camp Smith, Hawaii. 

Air Force Col. Douglas P. Wickert for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Wickert is currently serving as the commander, 412th Test Wing, Air Force Materiel Command, Edwards Air Force Base, California.

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SPECIAL DUTIES. EXTRAORDINARY ROLES.

Marines often serve in a variety of special capacities, whether protecting our Nation’s embassies abroad, recruiting the next generation of United States Marines, or even serving the United States Special Operations Command as a MARSOC Raider. These duties are earned by Marines who have proven their exceptional ability to fight and win in the primary Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs) .

Every Marine takes on a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) for which he or she is optimally trained, but beyond these roles are the opportunities to take on special duty assignments. Many of these advanced opportunities are called “B” Billets, a designation separate from a Marine’s primary MOS. Explore these critical but atypical roles in the Corps.

Recruiting duty is a vital assignment in the Marine Corps, as it puts Marines in the position of ensuring the standards of our Corps remain high. Those Marines selected for recruiting duty carry the essential duty of screening, selecting, and preparing the next generation of Marines for the physical and mental rigors of recruit training.

Those Marines selected to serve on Drill Instructor Duty carry the essential responsibility of directly shaping the future of the Marine Corps, providing guidance, discipline, and direction for future Marines.

“These recruits are entrusted to my care. I will train them to the best of my ability. I will develop them into smartly disciplined, physically fit, basically trained Marines, thoroughly indoctrinated in love of Corps and country. I will demand of them, and demonstrate by my own example, the highest standards of personal conduct, morality and professional skill."

—Excerpt from Drill Instructor's Creed

The Marine Corps is the only military service that is entrusted with the responsibility of providing security for U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world. Marines selected for these special duty assignments will have the opportunity to serve at embassies and consulates located in various countries around the globe.

Security Force duty is among the most challenging the Corps offers, and Marines who take on this opportunity must be highly-trained in advanced security procedures. Our Nation places special trusts in these Marines, as they are assigned the responsibility of maintaining a worldwide presence, guarding and protecting key naval assets and special strategic weapons.

MARINE CORPS SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND

Ready to stand on the frontline of any battle, the Marine Raiders of MARSOC are built up in their Corps ethos, warfighting philosophy and values and represent the Marine Corps contribution to the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Two of the prominent roles within the Marine Raider community include Critical Skills Operators, who support the full spectrum of special operations on a global scale, and Special Operations Capability Specialists, who provide combat support expertise in intelligence, fire support, communications, EOD, and canine operations.

Gain direct access to a Marine Recruiter who has fought alongside Marines and is prepared to show you how to become one.

One doesn't consider an endeavor of this magnitude without having questions. Here are some of the most common.

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It takes many different roles to win our Nation’s collective fight. These are the many ways in which optimally trained Marines take part in a common moral cause.

This is the organizational structure that ensures remain ready to fight and win for our Nation all over the globe.

Reserve Marines are ready to supplement Marine active-duty forces when called upon, providing our Nation with a balanced, prepared force to win its battles.

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Warfighting, quality of life prioritized in USMC commandant guidance

A year into his tenure as the top Marine, Commandant Gen. Eric Smith has released his planning guidance to the Corps.

The last commandant’s planning guidance, issued in 2019 when Gen. David Berger assumed the post, ushered in dramatic changes to the service, including shedding tanks, reducing conventional artillery, restructuring infantry battalions and the creation of a new type of regiment.

Such documents are used by the top Marine to outline his priorities for the force in a variety of areas and set a tone with leadership for those priorities, and Smith’s 24-page iteration continues the changes begun under Berger.

The general still wants Marines to balance crisis response missions with modernization, integrate with the Navy, improve quality of life, help recruit and retain other Marines and better use the Marine Reserve.

Smith also sees Force Design, which was the overarching plan to transform the Corps for modern combat under Berger, as the way to position the service to compete with China, Russia and other threats.

The Marine Corps has 'to get smaller to get better'

“I remain confident that we are on the right track as a service. Force Design remains a righteous journey, and we are in perhaps the most difficult phase — implementation,” Smith wrote .

Force Design has had its critics. More than a dozen retired generals and senior officers have written opinion pieces and openly criticized the changes started by Berger, which they say have made the Corps less combat ready.

Still, Smith remains steadfast to the plan in his guidance.

“Accepting near-term risk for long-term gain has, and always will be, the essence of Force Design,” he wrote .

The service’s prioritization of its three Marine Expeditionary Forces, or MEFs, remains unchanged.

The East Coast-based II MEF will remain as a “force-in-readiness” for crisis response and continue to organize in battalion or regimental-sized elements.

The West Coast-based I MEF “remains our globally deployable MEF,” Smith wrote . The MEF’s focus will continue to be the Pacific region.

And the Okinawa, Japan, based III MEF will stay leading the Corps’ ongoing deterrence against the Chinese military.

Within those MEF commitments, Smith wants a “continuous” Marine Expeditionary Unit, or MEU, presence, requiring “heel-to-toe deployments”, with one MEU each out of both I MEF and II MEF and the forward deployed 31st MEU in Okinawa being drawn out of forces deployed already to that region.

Smith also focused on quality of life in his guidance, noting the Barracks 2030 plan , which launched this year following a top-to-bottom inspection of all barracks in the Marine Corps.

Marine Corps Times reported in April that an estimated 87,000 Marines live in barracks and approximately 83% of those facilities are in “pretty good shape,” said Lt. Gen. Edward Banta, deputy commandant for installations and logistics.

The Marines have averaged more than $200 million in annual spending on barracks restoration and modernization in recent years, Marine Corps Times reported . The service renovated 30 barracks buildings in fiscal years 2022 and 2023 and received funding for renovations on 13 additional buildings in fiscal 2024.

But the backlog goes back years, and in his guidance, Smith asked Marines for patience, and help.

“I need all Marines to understand that this project will take time. Many of us will not see the completion of this task during our careers,” he wrote. “But I am committed to getting our junior Marines quick wins wherever possible – and if you have a good idea that can have a quick, low-cost and substantial effect on the morale or performance of your unit, I want to hear from you.”

Todd South has written about crime, courts, government and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written project on witness intimidation. Todd is a Marine veteran of the Iraq War.

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