The Deputy Commandant for Aviation (DCA) is the United States Marine Corps' principal advisor on all aviation matters and is the spokesperson for Marine Corps Aviation programs, requirements, and strategy throughout the Department of the Navy and the Department of Defense. DCA is normally the highest-ranking naval aviator in the Marine Corps and reports directly to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. The role of DCA is an administrative position and has no operational command authority over United States Marine Corps Aviation forces.
DCA tour lengths have varied over the years based on war time requirements and personnel turnover. For the last two decades, typical tour lengths have been approximately three years. The billet is normally held by a lieutenant general. DCA and Headquarters Marine Corps Aviation work out of The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia.
Responsibilities The Deputy Commandant for Aviation is responsible for developing, integrating, and supervising plans, policies, and budgets for all aviation assets and aviation expeditionary enablers (aviation command and control, aviation-ground support, and unmanned aircraft systems) in support of Marine air ground task forces.
History The Aviation Section, Headquarters Marine Corps was established in 1919. In charge initially was the Officer in Charge, Aviation. He was responsible to both the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Director of Naval Aviation for all Marine Corps related aviation matters. In 1920, Congress authorized Marine Corps Aviation to maintain a strength of approximately one-fifth the size of the Marine Corps. In 1936 the Aviation Section was renamed the Aviation Division and the billet was changed to the Director of Aviation. In 1962 the name was again changed to Deputy Chief of Staff (Air). The current moniker of Deputy Commandant for Aviation began in June 1998.
List of Deputy Commandants for Aviation
#Picture Name Rank TermNotes Took office Left office Duration 1CunninghamAlfred A. CunninghamO-04 MajorNaval Aviator #5. He was the first Marine Corps aviator. World War I. 2TurnerThomas C. TurnerO-05 Lieutenant colonelNaval Aviator #772. Distinguished Flying Cross; served in the Philippines, at Veracruz and in Haiti. During WWI, at the request of Hap Arnold, served as the OinC of flying at the Army's Ellington Field. 3BrainardEdwin H. BrainardO-04 MajorNaval Aviator #2982. Recipient of the Navy Cross for his actions during the Champagne Offensive in October 1918 while serving as the Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment. Obtained the Marine Corps' first cargo plane in 1927. 4TurnerThomas C. TurnerO-06 ColonelSee #2 above. The nine day gap between Col Turner and Maj Geiger was due to Col Turner being killed by a whirling propeller blade in Haiti on 28 October 1928. 5GeigerRoy GeigerO-04 MajorNaval Aviator #49. Two time recipient of the Navy Cross. Served as the Commanding General of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing during the Battle of Guadalcanal and Commanding General of the III Marine Amphibious Corps during the Battle of Okinawa. Also the only Marine to ever command a field army when he temporarily took command of the Tenth Army after the death of Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. 6RowellRoss E. RowellO-06 ColonelNavy Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross; Served in Nicaragua and flew at the Battle of Ocotal, was Commanding General, Marine Aircraft Wings Pacific during World War II. 7MitchellRalph J. MitchellO-07Brigadier GeneralNavy and Army Distinguished Service Medals; Distinguished Flying Cross from Nicaraguan Campaign. 8GeigerRoy GeigerO-08 Major GeneralSee #5 above. 9WoodsLouis E. WoodsO-07Brigadier GeneralVeteran Guadalcanal Campaign, veteran Okinawa Campaign, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire; commanding general, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing 10HarrisField HarrisO-08 Major GeneralGraduate U.S. Naval Academy; Lieutenant general; Navy and Army Distinguished Service Medals 11WallaceWilliam J. WallaceO-08 Major GeneralNavy Distinguished Service Medal; Guadalcanal Campaign & Battle of Okinawa 12JeromeClayton C. JeromeO-07Brigadier GeneralRetired at Lieutenant General; Commanded both 1st and 2d MAW; veteran of Nicaraguan Campaign, Yangtze Patrol, Solomon Islands campaign, Bougainville campaign, Philippines campaign and the Korean War. 13BriceWilliam O. BriceO-09 Lieutenant GeneralNavy Distinguished Service Medal, Veteran of World War II, having fought at Guadalcanal, and the Korea; also served as Commanding General of Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. 14SchiltChristian F. SchiltO-09 Lieutenant GeneralMedal of Honor; General; Veteran World War I, United States occupation of Haiti, United States occupation of Nicaragua, and World War II 15McCaulVerne J. McCaulO-09 Lieutenant GeneralAssistant Commandant of the Marine Corps; Veteran World War II and Korean War. 16JackSamuel S. JackO-08 Major GeneralVeteran Nicaraguan Campaign, World War II and Korean War; Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy; Recipient of the Navy Cross 17MunnJohn C. MunnO-08 Major GeneralSilver Star; Guadalcanal Campaign & Battle of Okinawa; Korean War 18BinneyAlbert F. BinneyO-08 Major GeneralVeteran World War II and Korean War; commanding general 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing; graduate U.S. Naval Academy in 1928; 19McCutcheonKeith B. McCutcheonO-06 ColonelGeneral; Distinguished Flying Cross; Army Silver Star Medal; Commanding Officer Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1); commanding general, III Marine Amphibious Force; McCutcheon Field at MCAS New River, North Carolina is named in his honor. 20CarlMarion E. CarlO-06 ColonelTwice awarded the Navy Cross; Battle of Midway & Guadalcanal Campaign; Vietnam War 21AndersonNorman J. AndersonO-07Brigadier GeneralNavy Distinguished Service Medal; Distinguished Flying Cross with three gold stars; Air Medal with two silver stars; graduate UCLA 22RobertshawLouis B. RobertshawO-08 Major GeneralGraduate U.S. Naval Academy; captain of the 1935 Naval Academy football team; Inspector General of the Marine Corps 23McCutcheonKeith B. McCutcheonO-08 Major GeneralSee #19 above. 24HillHomer S. HillO-08 Major GeneralSee #19 above. 25FrisEdward S. FrisO-08 Major GeneralLieutenant general; Veteran of World War II and Vietnam War; pioneer in the development of today's Marine Air Command and Control System (MACCS). 26ShutlerPhilip D. ShutlerO-07Brigadier GeneralLieutenant general; Veteran of Korean War and Vietnam War. 27ArmstrongVictor A. ArmstrongO-08 Major GeneralLieutenant general; Veteran World War II; Korean War, and Vietnam War; Legion of Merit with Combat "V" and 2 gold stars; Distinguished Flying Cross with gold star 28MillerThomas H. Miller Jr.O-09 Lieutenant GeneralFirst American to fly the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. 29WhiteWilliam J. WhiteO-09 Lieutenant GeneralVeteran Korean War, and Vietnam War; Legion of Merit with Combat "V"; Distinguished Flying Cross 30FitchWilliam H. FitchO-09 Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant general; Silver Star Medal 31SmithKeith A. SmithO-09 Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant general; Distinguished Flying Cross 32PitmanCharles H. PitmanO-09 Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant general; Silver Star Medal 33WillsDuane A. WillsO-09 Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant general; Veteran Vietnam War; Distinguished Flying Cross; lettered in football at UCLA; 34HearneyRichard D. HearneyO-09 Lieutenant GeneralAssistant Commandant of the Marine Corps; General; Served in the Vietnam War and Gulf War; Navy Distinguished Service Medal 35BlotHarold W. BlotO-09 Lieutenant General 36DakeTerrence R. DakeO-09 Lieutenant General 37McCorkleFrederick McCorkleO-09 Lieutenant GeneralVietnam War 38NylandWilliam L. NylandO-09 Lieutenant GeneralNavy Distinguished Service Medal; Vietnam War 39HoughMichael A. HoughO-09 Lieutenant General 40CastellawJohn G. CastellawO-09 Lieutenant General 41TrautmanGeorge J. Trautman IIIO-09 Lieutenant General 42RoblingTerry G. RoblingO-09 Lieutenant General 43SchmidleRobert E. Schmidle Jr.O-09 Lieutenant General 44DavisJon M. DavisO-09 Lieutenant General 45RudderSteven R. RudderO-09 Lieutenant General 46WiseMark R. WiseO-09 Lieutenant General 47CederholmMichael CederholmO-09 Lieutenant General 48GeringBradford GeringO-09 Lieutenant General 49SwanWilliam H.SwanO-09 Lieutenant GeneralIncumbent
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