The Senate Armed Services Committee has confirmed Marine Corps Gen. Christopher Mahoney as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Who Is the Joint Chiefs’ New Vice Chair? President Donald Trump nominated Mahoney to serve as the next vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in June. At the time, Mahoney was still the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, a role he has held since November 2023. He briefly performed the duties of Marine Corps commandant, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, while Gen. Eric Smith was recovering from a cardiac arrest episode and open-heart surgery .