In a lawn ceremony at the Marine Barracks in Washington, Gen. Joseph Dunford became the 36th Commandant of the Marine Corps as his predecessor, Gen. James F. Amos, moves to retire from active service.
Dunford commanded the 5th Marine Regiment as it led the way in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, where he earned the nickname “Fighting Joe.” He served as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps from 2010 to 2012, when he was tapped by the Obama administration to become the top U.S. general in Afghanistan.