Senate confirms Gen. James Amos as Marine Corps commandant

Senate confirms Marine chief

WASHINGTON — The Senate has confirmed Gen. James Amos as the next head of the Marine Corps, with Lt. Gen. Joseph Dunford as his deputy.

A naval aviator, Amos has been serving as the service’s No. 2 to Marine Commandant James Conway. Conway retires this fall.

Amos is expected to support Defense Secretary Robert Gates in his quest for cost savings and to help rethink the mission of the Marines.

However, in a sharp split from his civilian boss, Amos has told Congress that gays should not be allowed to serve openly in the military. The four-star general told the Senate this month that the military’s current policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” works.