Robert Kingston
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| Robert Charles Kingston | |
|---|---|
| July 16, 1928 – February 28, 2007 (aged 78) | |
 General Kingston, 1984 |
|
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1948-1985 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | United States Central Command |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War Korean War |
| Awards | Combat Infantryman Badge (2) Distinguished Service Cross Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star (2) Legion of Merit (4) Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star(2) Air Medal (36) National Order of Vietnam, 4th & 5th Classes Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry (6 Palms) |
Robert Charles Kingston (July 16, 1928 - February 28, 2007) was an American general who served as the commander of United States Central Command.
Kingston graduated from Brookline High School in 1947. He entered the Army as an enlisted soldier in November 1948. The following year he attended Officer Candidate School at Fort Riley, Kansas and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Infantry on December 20, 1949.
As a 2LT, he commanded Task Force Kingston in the early phase of the Korean War, driving his unit all the way to the Yalu River.
He has commanded troops at each level from platoon to brigade. In 1970 he was assigned as the Deputy Secretary of the General Staff, Office of the Chief of Staff, U.S. Army. In June 1972 General Kingston returned to Vietnam where he was promoted to Brigadier General in December and served as Deputy Commanding General, Second Regional Assistance Command and as Deputy Senior Advisor, II Corps and Military Region 2.
In January 1973, General Kingston assumed command of the Joint Casualty Resolution Center in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. Upon his return to the United States in 1974, he assumed duties as Assistant Division Commander of the First Infantry Division and was promoted to Major General in September 1975. He assumed command of the US Army John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance and the US Army Institute for Military Assistance at Fort Bragg in 1975. Leaving Fort Bragg, General Kingston assumed command of the Army's 2nd Infantry Division in Tongduchon, Korea and served as Commanding General from June 1979 - June 1981. Following his promotion to Lieutenant General in 1981 he assumed command of the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force, MacDill Air Force Base Florida. On November 6, 1984 he was promoted to General and a year later he retired from active duty. Kingston died on February 28, 2007, at age 78, due to complications from a fall.[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "First U.S. Central Command chief, Robert Kingston, dies", St. Petersburg Times/Washington Post, 2007-03-02. Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
| Preceded by none |
Commander-in-Chief of United States Central Command 1983 – 1985 |
Succeeded by George B. Crist |
