Christopher J. Mahoney

Christopher J. Mahoney is a United States Marine Corps general who serves as the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps since 2023. In that capacity, he was also the acting commandant of the Marine Corps from 2023 to 2024. He previously served as the deputy commandant for programs and resources from 2021 to 2023.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

Born in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, Mahoney graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in June 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program.^[7] He completed The Basic School (TBS) and the Infantry Officer Course (IOC) at Quantico, Virginia, in 1988.^[8]

After flight training, he was designated a naval aviator in May 1990. Mahoney later earned a master's degree in management from the University of Canberra in December 2001 and a second master's degree in international strategic relations from the Air War College in May 2007.^[7] He has also graduated from the Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course (WTI), the Marine Division Tactics Course (MDTC), the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN), and the Australian Command and Staff College.^[8]

After flight training in Florida and Texas and his qualification as an A6-E Intruder pilot, Mahoney deployed to the Indo-Pacific with Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224, The Bengals. He completed transition training to the F-18 at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) El Toro and made multiple deployments with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 242, Squadron 122, and Squadron 242 to the Indo-Pacific, Italy, and Iraq, based out of MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina, and MCAS Miramar, California. Additionally, Mahoney served a tour as an instructor at the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron-1 (MAWTS-1) at MCAS Yuma, Arizona.^[8] As a pilot he has over 5,000 hours of flight time in the A-6, F-5, F-18, and the F-35, and he is also a qualified Forward Air Controller and parachutist.^[8]

He has held command at the squadron, group and wing levels. He completed a Joint Force tour as Chief of Staff of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California, and he served as the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources at Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps (HQMC).^[8]

His General Officer duties include Deputy Commander, U.S. Marine Forces Pacific; Director of Strategy and Plans at HQMC; Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces, Japan; Commanding General, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing; and Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources, HQMC.^[8] In the latter role, Mahoney was the fiscal director of the Marine Corps, and defended Force Design 2030.^[1]

In July 2023, Mahoney was nominated for promotion to general and appointment as assistant commandant of the Marine Corps.^[9] His confirmation vote was delayed by the hold placed by Senator Tommy Tuberville on all military nominations.^[1] General Mahoney was sworn in as the 37th assistant commandant of the Marine Corps on 3 November 2023.^[8] At the same time he also became the acting commandant of the United States Marine Corps, because the commandant, General Eric Smith, had been hospitalized after a heart attack. Mahoney took over the acting commandant role from Lieutenant General Karsten Heckl, who had been the next highest ranking officer during the absence of an assistant commandant.^[1]

Smith returned to his full role as commandant on 5 March 2024, and after that Mahoney continued to serve as the assistant commandant.^[10] In June 2025, he was nominated to become the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President Donald Trump.^[11][12]

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