DOUBLE DUTY

Marines’ Top General Spoke of Unsustainable Workload Before Collapse

Tommy Tuberville's hold on military nominations meant that the Marines’ top officer, Gen. Eric Smith, worked from 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. days without a second in command.

The Marine Corps’ top officer, Gen. Eric Smith, was hospitalized Sunday night with an undisclosed health emergency after collapsing while on a run in Washington—an incident D.C. police have attributed to a cardiac arrest, according to The Washington Post. Gen. Smith, speaking just a month ago at a Defense News Conference, spoke of a heavy workload and a schedule that was “not a sustainable thing.” He said he had recently been forced to begin his workday at 5 a.m. and end at 11:30 p.m.—working what had essentially become two jobs since Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s blockade on military confirmations prevented anyone from filling his previous role as the Marine Corps assistant commandant. With Smith in the hospital, there are no four-star Marine generals left in the Pentagon. A representative for Tuberville announced Tuesday that Tuberville wants to move ahead with voting on the next assistant commandant for the Marine Corps.