George J . Trautman , III Lieutenant General George J . Trautman III ( USMC ) served as the Deputy Commandant for Aviation of the United States Marine Corps from 2007 to 2011 . He retired from active duty military service on March 31 , 2011 . Marine Corps career . After graduating from The Basic School , Lieutenant General Trautman entered flight training and was subsequently designated a naval aviator . He completed initial aircrew training at 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and was then transferred to 1st Marine Brigade , MCAS Kaneohe , Hawaii . While with the Brigade he completed two Marine Amphibious Unit ( MAU ) deployments to the Western Pacific and Southwest Asia . Reassigned to 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in 1980 , Lieutenant General Trautman served with various Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadrons and the 11th MAU as they began training for the initial sourcing of Western Pacific deployments from I Marine Expeditionary Force . From 1984 through 1987 , Lieutenant General Trautman served as an instructor with Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One . He then attended the College of Naval Command and Staff followed by assignment as the Assistant Operations Officer aboard USS " Okinawa " . From 1990 through 1993 , Lieutenant General Trautman served first as Executive Officer , then as Commanding Officer of HMLA - 169 . His squadron deployed with 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Desert Storm . After spending the next year at the Brookings Institution , he was assigned to the Joint Staff , Force Structure , Resources , and Assessment Directorate ( J - 8 ) . From 1997 through 1999 , Lieutenant General Trautman served as Commanding Officer , Marine Aircraft Group 36 ( MAG 36 ) . He next served as Branch Head , Aviation Weapon Systems Requirements Branch , Department of Aviation , Headquarters Marine Corps . In July 2000 , Lieutenant General Trautman was assigned to serve as the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Assistant Wing Commander . In June 2001 , he also served as the Commander , Combined Joint Task Force Kuwait . From November 2001 through March 2002 , he assumed duties as the Deputy Commanding General , I Marine Expeditionary Force and Commanding General , 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade . From June 2002 until August 2004 , Lieutenant General Trautman served as Deputy Director , Plans and Policy ( J - 5 ) , U . S . Central Command while forward deployed at various locations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom . From August 2004 through June 2005 , Lieutenant General Trautman served as the Commanding General , Marine Corps Base Hawaii ; Deputy Commander , U . S . Marine Corps Forces , Pacific ; and Deputy Commanding General , III Marine Expeditionary Force Hawaii . On June 10 , 2005 , Lieutenant General Trautman assumed command of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing . On June 8 , 2007 , Lieutenant General Trautman was ordered to Headquarters Marine Corps to serve as Deputy Commandant for Aviation and promotion to Lieutenant General . Personal decorations . Lieutenant General Trautman ' s personal decorations include : Education . Lieutenant General Trautman earned a B . S . in Biology from Pennsylvania State University where he was a member of the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity . He earned three masters degrees — an M . S . in Systems Management from the University of Southern California , an M . A . in International Relations from Salve Regina University , and an M . A . in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College . He is also a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College and was a Fellow in residence at the Brookings Institution .