Gen. Robert Neller took over as the 37th Commandant of the Marine Corps on Thursday during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., receiving command from incoming Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford. Neller is a 40-year Marine Corps veteran and previously served as commander of US Marine Corps Forces Command and Marine Forces Europe. “I am honored, proud, and humbled to be here,” Neller said at the ceremony, according to a release. “I appreciate your support, now let’s go do this.” Dunford is set to take over as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs during a Sept. 25 ceremony at Fort Myer, Va. He served as commandant for about 14 months before he was nominated in July to take over for retiring Army Gen. Martin Dempsey.
The Pentagon announced new long-term agreements with four defense companies May 13 to develop and produce large numbers of low-cost cruise missiles. And while the effort will focus mostly on the Army to start, it pairs with Air Force efforts to find more affordable munitions.