Peter Pace is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first Marine appointed to the United States' highest-ranking military office. Appointed by President George W. Bush, Pace succeeded U.S. Air Force General Richard Myers on September 30, 2005. His other four-star assignments include being the 6th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2001 to August 12, 2005 and as Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Southern Command from September 8, 2000 to September 30, 2001.
The Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced on June 8, 2007, that he would advise the President not to renominate Pace for a second term. Pace retired from the Marine Corps and stepped down as Chairman on October 1, 2007. He was replaced by Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Mullen.
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