General Amos: New Assistant Commandant

HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS: General James F. Amos pinned on his fourth star, and assumed his new duties as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps during a ceremony at Marine Barracks Washington.

Amos relieved Gen. Robert Magnus, who served as the Assistant Commandant since September 2005. Magnus will retire later this month.

Amos graduated from the University of Idaho in 1970, and was designated a Naval aviator in 1971. He served numerous tours with Marine squadrons, flying both the F-4 Phantom II and the F/A-18 Hornet.

Amos has served with NATO, where he was the deputy commander, Naval Striking Forces, Southern Europe, and the U.S. deputy commanding general, Fleet Marine Forces, Europe, Naples, Italy. During this tour, Amos commanded NATO's Kosovo Verification Coordination Center, and served as chief of staff, U.S. Joint Task Force Noble Anvil during the air campaign over Kosovo.

Other highlights of Amos' career include: commanding various units from the squadron to the Corps' largest air-ground task force, the Marine Expeditionary Force. During the initial phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Amos commanded the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. He later served as the commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force from 2004- 2006.

His previous duty assignment was the commanding general of Marine Corps Combat Development Command at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.