The episode happened as the service’s No. 2 position has been left unfilled because of a senator’s blockade on promotions of senior military officers.
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Gen. Eric M. Smith is said to have collapsed near his official residence in Washington.
Gen. Eric M. Smith, the Marine Corps’s commandant and top officer, was hospitalized on Sunday evening after an unspecified medical emergency, the service said on Monday.
The Marines announced General Smith’s hospitalization in an email to reporters but provided no further details about his condition. One current and one former defense official familiar with his condition said he apparently had a heart attack while jogging.
The episode happened approximately one block from his official residence at Marine Barracks Washington, which is commonly referred to by its location at Eighth and I Streets in Southeast Washington, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.
Reached by phone, Maj. Jim Stenger, a spokesman for the Marine Corps, said that in keeping with the family’s wishes and medical privacy laws, no additional information would yet be released.
General Smith is one of only three generals who have been confirmed for new positions since mid-February because of a blockade by Senator Tommy Tuberville, Republican of Alabama. Mr. Tuberville is holding up the promotions of senior military officers in protest of a Pentagon policy that ensures that military personnel can obtain abortions after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
General Smith was confirmed to the position by the Senate on Sept. 21. He took office the next day after being sworn in by the Navy secretary, Carlos Del Toro.
But General Smith’s hospitalization came as the service’s No. 2 position has been left unfilled by Mr. Tuberville’s hold.
Lt. Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney, the service’s deputy commandant for programs and resources in Washington, was nominated as the assistant commandant on Aug. 13, but his promotion to four-star rank has been stalled.
With General Smith hospitalized, the service said in a statement that in accordance with federal law, Lt. Gen. Karsten S. Heckl, the senior officer assigned to Marine Corps headquarters, is performing the duties of commandant in the interim.
John Ismay is a Pentagon correspondent in the Washington bureau and a former Navy explosive ordnance disposal officer. More about John Ismay
Eric Schmitt is a senior writer who has traveled the world covering terrorism and national security. He was also the Pentagon correspondent. A member of the Times staff since 1983, he has shared four Pulitzer Prizes. More about Eric Schmitt
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Source: nytimes.com
