Joseph Dunford entered military service in 1977 after graduating from St. Michel’s College. Achieving 4-star rank, on May 1, 2009 he was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as Commanding General of the I Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Forces Central Command, and the following year was nominated by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to become the 32d Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. On October 17, 2014 he became the 36th Commandant of the Marine Corps and on October 1, 2015 he was appointed the 19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.