Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has announced presidential nominations for seven Marine Corps general officers, including five reappointments to lieutenant general and two new appointments to that rank. The nominations, revealed on January 20, 2026, represent a significant reshuffling of leadership across critical military commands and intelligence operations.
“Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced today that the president has made the following nominations,” the Department of War stated in its official release. The moves affect positions ranging from intelligence agencies to expeditionary forces both domestically and overseas.
Intelligence Leadership Changes
Among the most notable appointments, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James H. Adams III has been nominated for reappointment as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C. Adams will transition from his current role as deputy commandant for Programs and Resources, placing him at the helm of one of the nation’s most crucial intelligence operations.
In a parallel move within the intelligence community, Lt. Gen. Melvin G. Carter has been nominated for reappointment as the director’s advisor for Military Affairs in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Carter currently serves as deputy commandant for Information, bringing substantial expertise to this critical position bridging military and intelligence priorities.
Expeditionary Force Leadership
What’s particularly striking about these nominations? The emphasis on maintaining continuity in expeditionary force leadership while simultaneously refreshing key Pentagon positions.
Lt. Gen. Robert C. Fulford has been tapped for reappointment as commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Fulford will be moving from his current position as deputy commander of U.S. European Command, bringing valuable international experience to domestic operations.
Meanwhile, on the international front, Lt. Gen. Benjamin T. Watson has been nominated for reappointment as commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force and commander of Marine Forces Japan in Okinawa, Japan. Watson currently serves as deputy commandant for Training and Education, a background that will likely inform his leadership approach in this strategically important Asian command.
Rounding out the expeditionary leadership changes, Lt. Gen. Calvert L. Worth Jr. has been nominated for reappointment as commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command and related commands at Norfolk, Virginia. Worth will transition from his role as commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force, maintaining senior leadership continuity within the Marine Corps command structure.
New Lieutenant Generals
The nominations also include two major generals receiving promotions to lieutenant general. Maj. Gen. Joseph A. Matos III has been nominated for appointment to lieutenant general with assignment as deputy commandant for Information at Marine Corps Headquarters in the Pentagon. Matos brings extensive experience from multiple cyber and space command positions at Fort Meade, Maryland—expertise that’s increasingly vital in modern warfare.
Additionally, Maj. Gen. Andrew M. Niebel has been nominated for appointment to lieutenant general as deputy commandant for Installations and Logistics. Niebel currently serves as director of the Logistics Division in the same office, suggesting a promotion that values institutional knowledge and continuity.
These nominations reflect the administration’s ongoing effort to balance experience and fresh perspectives within the military’s upper echelons. Still, all nominations require Senate confirmation before the officers can assume their new roles—a process that has occasionally faced delays in recent years amid increased congressional scrutiny of military leadership appointments.
The reshuffling comes at a time of heightened global tensions and evolving military priorities, with particular emphasis on information warfare and intelligence capabilities—a fact underscored by the strategic positioning of officers with backgrounds in these domains.
