WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 — Military Reporters and Editors is honored to announce that acting Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric M. Smith will address the 2023 MRE conference in Washington D.C. on Oct. 27. He joins Her Excellency, Oksana Markarova, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S. as a keynote speaker.
Gen. Smith has served as the 36th assistant commandant of the Marine Corps since October 2021, and as acting commandant of the Marine Corps since July 2023.
He has commanded at every level, in missions that include Operation Assured Response in Liberia, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also served in Caracas, Venezuela, as part of the U.S. Military Group.
From July to November 2015, Gen. Smith commanded U.S. Marine Corps Forces Southern Command before he was transferred to the Pentagon to serve as the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense.
As acting commandant, Gen. Smith oversees a force of more than 210,000 active duty and reserve men and women, whom he has urged to stay disciplined, continue to modernize and prepare for potential future conflicts.
Meanwhile, he still serves as assistant commandant, drastically increasing his workload.
His Senate confirmation has been blocked, along with hundreds of other military promotions, by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who says he is protesting the Pentagon’s decision to fund female service members’ travel across state lines for reproductive care, including abortions.
For more information on the conference and the organization, visit https://www.militaryreporters.org.
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Military Reporters & Editors is the leading organization for U.S. journalists covering national security. MRE provides resources, support, and networking opportunities for its members, fostering excellence in journalism and promoting public understanding of military and national security affairs.