Aggie Confirmed To Lead US Marine Corps

In a unanimous vote Thursday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Gen. Eric M. Smith ’87 as commandant of the Marine Corps, placing the four-star general and Texas A&M University graduate at the helm of the elite military branch and its 200,000-plus active duty and reserve personnel.

Smith, who served as the Marines’ assistant commandant before being nominated for the top job by President Joe Biden in May, earned his bachelor’s degree in political science while serving as a leader in Texas A&M’s Corps of Cadets. He was commander of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band and a member of the Ross Volunteer Company.