On Oct. 17, Gen. Joe Dunford will officially be in control of the Marine Corps as the 36th commandant following a ceremony. The inaugural event will take place at Marine Barracks Washington.
According to Marine Corps Times, the ceremony will be formal and include remarks from high-ranking officials and a performance by "The President's Own" Marine Band.
Dunford is also known by the nickname Fighting Joe, which he earned serving in Iraq in 2003, when he was in charge of Regimental Combat Team-5. He was also listed as No. 8 in Fortune magazine's list of 50 greatest world leaders. A former Marine commandant told the magazine that Dunford "is probably the most complete warrior-statesman wearing a uniform today."
Dunford is familiar with his new position – he recently spent two years as assistant commandant. He was also the commander of International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, leading both U.S. and allied troops, reported Marine Corps Times.
He will be replacing Gen. Jim Amos, who has spent the past 42 years in the Marine Corps and was the first Marine Corps aviator to become commandant. He held the position for four years, and will be entering retirement, noted the source.