New Commandant

Today at the Marine Corps Barracks on Capitol Hill, Gen. James Amos officially took over as Marine Corps commandant as his predecessor, Gen. James Conway, stepped down from the role. Over the next four years, Amos' knowledge of the workings of the Pentagon and Washington will keep the Marine Corps "competitive" in a "resource-constrained environment," Conway predicted.

In a reference to an ongoing force structure review, Defense Secretary Robert Gates noted Amos will lead an effort to "look hard" at the role of the Marine Corps. "They need to preserve both their maritime soul and the hard-won counterinsurgency skills they've developed during this past decade," Gates said. No mention was made of procurement programs such as the troubled Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle.

The audience for the outdoor ceremony was packed with senior defense officials, top brass and retired Marine Corps leaders, including Deputy Defense Secretary Bill Lynn; Pentagon policy chief Michèle Flournoy; Navy Secretary Ray Mabus; former Navy Secretary Donald Winter; U.S. Central Command chief Gen. James Mattis; the service chiefs; retired Gen. Peter Pace, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and retired Gen. James Jones, the former Marine commandant who recently stepped down as White House national security adviser.