Robert B . Johnston Robert B . Johnston ( born October 6 , 1937 ) is a retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant general whose last duty assignment was as Commander , Marine Forces Atlantic Marine Forces Europe and II Marine Expeditionary Force . During the Gulf War , he served as the CENTCOM Chief - of - Staff . He retired from the U . S . Marine Corps in 1995 after over 34 years of active duty service . Biography . Robert B . Johnston was born in Edinburgh , Scotland on October 6 , 1937 . He immigrated to the United States in 1955 and graduated from San Diego State College with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1961 , where he was also a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity . In He received a Master ' s degree in Business Administration from the United States International University in 1975 . He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U . S . Marine Corps in December 1961 . His first tour of duty was with the 1st Marine Brigade in Hawaii as a Rifle Platoon Commander , Company Executive Officer and Assistant Regimental S - 3 , respectively . In May 1965 , he deployed with the Brigade to Vietnam , where he served as Assistant Regimental S - 3 . He served a second tour in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968 , as a Rifle Company Commander in the 3rd Battalion , 9th Marines and as Assistant G - 2 , 3rd Marine Division . He was promoted to first lieutenant in June 1963 and captain in September 1965 . Between his Vietnam tours , General Johnston served as Commanding Officer , Guard Company , \ Headquarters Marine Corps , Washington , D . C . , from July 1965 to October 1966 . Transferring to Marine Corps Base Quantico , he completed the Amphibious Warfare School in July 1968 , and was subsequently assigned to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot , San Diego , California , in August , where he served as Assistant G - 3 , Staff Secretary and Executive Officer of 2nd Recruit Training Battalion until August 1972 . He was promoted to major in October 1971 . Following an assignment to the Joint U . S . Military Advisory Group in Korea from 1972 to 1973 , Johnston completed graduate school in San Diego in March 1975 . He returned to Headquarters Marine Corps for a three - year tour serving in the Manpower Plans and Policy Division as Manpower Systems Analyst , then as Head , Enlisted Plans Section . While at Headquarters , he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in March 1978 . From August 1978 to June 1979 , Johnston was a student at the National War College , Washington , D . C . , then assumed duties as the Aide - de - Camp to the Commandant of the Marine Corps ( June 1979 to May 1981 ) . He then assumed command of the 2nd Battalion , 8th Marine Regiment at Camp Lejeune , North Carolina from July 1981 to February 1983 , and commanded the 8th Marine Regiment from February 1983 to May 1984 . He was promoted to colonel in May 1983 while at Camp Lejeune . He was assigned to Quantico in May 1984 to assume command of Officer Candidates School . While serving in this capacity , he was selected for promotion to brigadier general in December 1986 . He was advanced to that grade on August 21 , 1987 , and assumed duty as the Assistant Division Commander , 3rd Marine Division in September 1987 . He was assigned additional duty as the Commanding General , 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade in November 1987 . On May 26 , 1988 , General Johnston was assigned as the Commanding General , Marine Corps Base , Camp S . D . Butler . On May 4 , 1990 , he was promoted to major general and on June 15 , 1990 he was assigned to United States Central Command as the Chief of Staff . In August 1990 , he deployed with CENTCOM to Saudi Arabia , where he served as the Chief of Staff to General Norman Schwarzkopf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm . In May 1991 , he returned to MacDill Air Force Base , Florida and was assigned as the Deputy Commander in Chief and Chief of Staff , United States Central Command . He was advanced to lieutenant general on August 27 , 1991 , and assumed duty as Commanding General , I Marine Expeditionary Force / Commanding General , Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton , California , on September 6 , 1991 . He relinquished command of Marine Corps Base at Camp Pendleton on June 19 , 1992 . In December 1992 , as Commanding General of I MEF , Johnston lead U . S . and allied troops in an United Nations mandated mission to deliver relief supplies to Somalia . On July 8 , 1993 he assumed his final assignment as Commander , Marine Forces Atlantic Marine Forces Europe , and II Marine Expeditionary Force on on July 19 , 1993 . Lieutenant General Johnston retired in 1995 after 34 years of service in the U . S . Marine Corps . Decorations and awards . Johnston ' s decorations include :