Lieutenant General Richard P. Mills, USMC (Ret) serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Marine Corps University Foundation and joined MCUF in October 2015. A native of Huntington, New York, Lieutenant General Mills was commissioned in 1975 via Officer Candidates School. As a Lieutenant, he served at the battalion level in two Marine Divisions as a rifle platoon commander, weapons platoon commander, rifle company executive officer, and adjutant. As a Captain, he attended Amphibious Warfare School, and commanded a recruit companyat Parris Island, later commanding Alpha Company, 6th Marines, 2d Marine Division.
As a Major, he was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps, attended the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, was a Military Observer with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization in Palestine, and served with Marine Air Group 29, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing.
Lieutenant Colonel Mills served as Operations Officer, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) (MEU SOC) taking part in operations off Bosnia and Somalia, was assigned to the staff of the Commander, United States Sixth Fleet in Gaeta, Italy, and as Commanding Officer, 3d Battalion, 6th Marines and Battalion Landing Team 3/6.
While a Colonel, he studied at the Royal College of Defense Studies, London, England, was the Officer-In-Charge of the Special Operations Training Group, II MEF, and commanded 24th MEU (SOC). While under his command the 24th MEU (SOC) participated in Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo and combat operations ashore in Iraq as part of Task Force Tarawa. Colonel Mills later served at United States European Command (EUCOM) in Stuttgart, Germany as the Assistant Chief of Staff. Upon selection to Brigadier General, he served as Deputy Director of Operations for EUCOM.
From 2007 to 2009 Brigadier General Mills served as Assistant Division Commander and Division Commander, 1st Marine Division and upon promotion to Major General as Commander, Ground Combat Element, Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Upon returning from Iraq he again assumed command of the 1st Marine Division and then was selected to command the I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) which deployed to Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). In June 2010, he assumed command of the newly-created ISAF Regional Command (Southwest) in Helmand Province. Major General Mills was the first Marine Corps General Officer to command NATO forces in combat.
In July 2011 and upon promotion to Lieutenant General he assumed the duties as the Commanding General Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, VA, Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration, Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps, and Commander of Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command. Lieutenant General Richard P. Mills final assignment was as Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve and Marine Forces Northern Command, New Orleans, La. He retired on October 1, 2015.
Lieutenant General Richard P. Mills, USMC (Ret) serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Marine Corps University Foundation and joined MCUF in October 2015. A native of Huntington, New York, Lieutenant General Mills was commissioned in 1975 via Officer Candidates School. As a Lieutenant, he served at the battalion level in two Marine Divisions as a rifle platoon commander, weapons platoon commander, rifle company executive officer, and adjutant. As a Captain, he attended Amphibious Warfare School, and commanded a recruit companyat Parris Island, later commanding Alpha Company, 6th Marines, 2d Marine Division.
As a Major, he was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps, attended the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, was a Military Observer with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization in Palestine, and served with Marine Air Group 29, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing.
Lieutenant Colonel Mills served as Operations Officer, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) (MEU SOC) taking part in operations off Bosnia and Somalia, was assigned to the staff of the Commander, United States Sixth Fleet in Gaeta, Italy, and as Commanding Officer, 3d Battalion, 6th Marines and Battalion Landing Team 3/6.
While a Colonel, he studied at the Royal College of Defense Studies, London, England, was the Officer-In-Charge of the Special Operations Training Group, II MEF, and commanded 24th MEU (SOC). While under his command the 24th MEU (SOC) participated in Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo and combat operations ashore in Iraq as part of Task Force Tarawa. Colonel Mills later served at United States European Command (EUCOM) in Stuttgart, Germany as the Assistant Chief of Staff. Upon selection to Brigadier General, he served as Deputy Director of Operations for EUCOM.
From 2007 to 2009 Brigadier General Mills served as Assistant Division Commander and Division Commander, 1st Marine Division and upon promotion to Major General as Commander, Ground Combat Element, Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Upon returning from Iraq he again assumed command of the 1st Marine Division and then was selected to command the I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) which deployed to Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). In June 2010, he assumed command of the newly-created ISAF Regional Command (Southwest) in Helmand Province. Major General Mills was the first Marine Corps General Officer to command NATO forces in combat.
In July 2011 and upon promotion to Lieutenant General he assumed the duties as the Commanding General Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, VA, Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration, Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps, and Commander of Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command. Lieutenant General Richard P. Mills final assignment was as Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve and Marine Forces Northern Command, New Orleans, La. He retired on October 1, 2015.