Charles C . Krulak General Charles Chandler Krulak ( born March 4 , 1942 ) served as the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps from July 1 , 1995 to June 30 , 1999 . He is the son of Lieutenant General Victor H . " Brute " Krulak , USMC , who served in World War II , Korea , and Vietnam . He is currently President of Birmingham - Southern College after his stint as a non - executive director of English association football club Aston Villa . Early years ; education . Charles Chandler Krulak was born in 1942 in Quantico , Virginia , to Amy ( Chandler ) and Victor H . Krulak . After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter , New Hampshire in 1960 , Krulak attended the United States Naval Academy , graduating in 1964 with a bachelor ' s degree . Krulak also holds a master ' s degree in labor relations from George Washington University ( 1973 ) . He is a graduate of the Amphibious Warfare School ( 1968 ) ; the Army Command and General Staff College ( 1976 ) ; and the National War College ( 1982 ) . Marine Corps career . After his commissioning and graduation from The Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico , Krulak held a variety of command and staff positions . His command positions included : commanding officer of a platoon and two rifle companies during two tours of duty in Vietnam ; commanding officer of Special Training Branch and Recruit Series at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego , California ( 1966 – 1968 ) ; commanding officer of Counter - Guerilla Warfare School , Northern Training Area on Okinawa ( 1970 ) , Company officer at the United States Naval Academy ( 1970 – 1973 ) ; commanding officer of the Marine Barracks at Naval Air Station North Island , California ( 1973 – 1976 ) , and commanding officer , 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines ( 1983 – 1985 ) . Krulak ' s staff assignments included : operations officer , 2nd Battalion 9th Marines ( 1977 – 1978 ) ; chief of the Combat Arms Monitor Section at Headquarters Marine Corps , Washington , D . C . ( 1978 – 1979 ) ; executive assistant to the Director of Personnel Management , Headquarters Marine Corps ( 1979 – 1981 ) ; Plans Office , Fleet Marine Forces Pacific , Camp H . M . Smith , Hawaii ( 1982 – 1983 ) ; executive officer , 3rd Marine Regiment , 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade ; assistant chief of staff , maritime pre - positioning ships , 1st MEB ; assistant chief of staff for operations , 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade ; and the military assistant to the assistant secretary of defense for command , control , communications and intelligence , Office of the Secretary of Defense . He was assigned duty as the deputy director of the White House Military Office in September 1987 . While serving in this capacity , he was selected for promotion to brigadier general in November 1988 . He was advanced to that grade on June 5 , 1989 , and assigned duties as the commanding general , 10th < nowiki > MEB / Assistant < / nowiki > division commander , 2nd Marine Division , Fleet Marine Force Atlantic , at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune , North Carolina on July 10 , 1989 . On June 1 , 1990 , he assumed duties as the commanding general , 2nd Force Service Support Group < nowiki > Group / Commanding < / nowiki > general , 6th Marine Expeditionary Brigade , Fleet Marine Force Atlantic and commanded the 2d FSSG during the Gulf War . He served in this capacity until July 12 , 1991 , and was assigned duty as assistant deputy chief of staff for manpower and reserve affairs ( personnel < nowiki > Management / Personnel < / nowiki > Procurement ) , Headquarters Marine Corps on August 5 , 1991 . He was advanced to major general on March 20 , 1992 . General Krulak was assigned as commanding general , Marine Corps Combat Development Command , Quantico , on August 24 , 1992 , and was promoted to lieutenant general on September 1 , 1992 . On July 22 , 1994 , he was assigned as commander of Marine Forces < nowiki > Pacific / commanding < / nowiki > general , Fleet Marine Force Pacific , and in March 1995 he was nominated to serve as the commandant of the Marine Corps . On June , 29 , he was promoted to general and assumed duties as the 31st commandant on June 30 , 1995 . He was relieved on June 30 , 1999 , by General James L . Jones . In 1997 General Krulak became a Life Member of the Sons of the Revolution in the State of California . General Krulak attracted some attention during his tenure as commandant by his custom of delivering Christmas cookies to each marine duty post in the Washington area . Post - Marine Corps career . General Krulak joined MBNA America in September 1999 as chief administrative officer , responsible for personnel , benefits , compensation , education , and other administrative services . Krulak has served as the Senior Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MBNA Europe ( 2001 – 2005 ) and was based at the Chester campus in the UK . He was the executive vice chairman and chief administration officer of MBNA Corporation ( 2004 – 2005 ) . He retired from MBNA in 2005 . Following the takeover of English football club Aston Villa by MBNA Chairman Randy Lerner in August 2006 and as of September 19 , 2006 , General Krulak joined the board of Aston Villa as non - executive director , where he quickly earned the approval of the fans by taking the time to post on various Aston Villa messageboards . Krulak is generally referred to as " The General " by fans on these boards . Krulak also serves on the boards of ConocoPhillips , Freeport - McMoran ( formerly known as Phelps Dodge Corporation ) and Union Pacific Corporation . In addition , he serves on the advisory council of Hope For The Warriors , a national non - profit dedicated to provide a full cycle of non - medical care to combat wounded service members , their families , and families of the fallen from each military branch . He was elected as the 13th President of Birmingham – Southern College in Birmingham , Alabama on March 21 , 2011 . Decorations and medals . General Krulak ' s decorations and medals include : Legacy . General Krulak famously referred to the " Strategic Corporal " and the Three Block War as two of the key lessons identified from the deployments in Somalia , Haiti and Bosnia . These concepts are still considered vital in understanding the increasing complexity of modern battle fields . General Krulak explained some of his warfighting philosophy in an interview with Tom Clancy in Clancy ' s nonfiction book " Marine " . Clancy referred to General Krulak as " Warrior Prince of the Corps " . General Krulak also rewrote the Marine Corps ' basic combat study text , " MCDP - 1 : Warfighting " , incorporating his theories on operations in the modern battlefield . As Commandant of the Marine Corps , General Krulak had a habit of always taking a few minutes when visiting Marine units to mingle with the junior ranking enlisted Marines , earning him much respect and popularity , but much to the chagrin of his bodyguards who were always supposed to be within an arm ' s distance of the Commandant . Family . General Krulak is married to Zandi Meyers from Annapolis . They have two sons , David and Todd . He is the son of Lieutenant General Victor H . Krulak , Sr . , and the younger brother of Commander Victor H . Krulak Jr , Navy Chaplain Corps and Colonel William Krulak , USMCR . General Krulak stated in an interview that his godfather was Holland M . " Howling Mad " Smith .