Dennis M. McCarthy

Dennis M. McCarthy (February 1, 1945 – February 8, 2023) was a United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General and served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs from June 2009 - April 2011. McCarthy was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from the University of Dayton and the Capital University Law School.

He began his military service in combat in Vietnam, and remained on active duty until 1978. He continued to serve as an infantry officer in the “traditional reserve,” and was recalled to active duty on several occasions. He also served on the Secretary of Defense’s Reserve Forces Policy Board. In 1997, he became the first Reserve General Officer to command an active duty Marine Division. From 1984 through 2005, he commanded eight different Marine Corps and Joint organizations, including overall command of the Marine Corps Reserve as it undertook its largest mobilization in history.

As a Reserve officer, he commanded the 3rd Battalion 25th Marines and was Executive Officer of the 25th Marine Regiment. He commanded Headquarters Detachment 2, 4th Marine Division and was called to active duty during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm for duty at Twentynine Palms, California as director of the Tactical Exercise Evaluation Control Group. He then served as G-3, 4th Marine Division in 1991, and commanded U.S. Joint Task Force, Chile in 1992. He was selected for promotion to the grade of brigadier general in 1992.

From 1993 until 1995, McCarthy was commanding general of the Marine Corps Reserve Support Command. In 1995 he assumed command of the Augmentation Command Element of the First Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF). He was concurrently assigned as deputy commander, I MEF. He was promoted to major general on 1 October 1996, and was appointed to the Defense Reserve Forces Policy Board.

In 1997, General McCarthy assumed command of the Third Marine Division, becoming the first reserve general officer to command an active duty Marine Division. He served in that post from July through October. He was then assigned to the United States Atlantic Command, where he served as the vice director of operations and subsequently, after returning to full-time active duty in 1999, as director of operations and plans. From 1 January 2000 until 14 May 2001, he served as the director, Reserve Affairs Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.

On 1 June 2001, he was promoted to the grade of lieutenant general. He assumed duties as commander, Marine Forces Reserve on 2 June 2001 and as commander, Marine Forces North, on 13 September 2004. During his last four years on active duty, he presided over the Marine Forces Reserve's largest reserve mobilization in its history, setting conditions to enable Marines to successfully serve their nation in combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world.

In 2013, he was appointed by President Obama to serve as a member of the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force. This commission was established by Congress to study the structure of the U.S. Air Force to determine whether, and how, the structure should be modified to best fulfill mission requirements for the U.S. Air Force in a manner consistent with available resources.

He and his wife have two sons, both of whom serve as Citizen Warriors - one in the Army National Guard and one in the Marine Corps Reserve.

Education McCarthy graduated from the University of Dayton in 1967. In 1975, he graduated from Capital University Law School and was admitted to the Ohio bar.

In 2010, Capital University Law School awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree and named him the Distinguished Alumnus for 2011.