Richard F. Natonski
MajGen Richard F. Natonski
Allegiance	USMC
Years of service	1973 - present
Rank	Major General
Commands	1st Battalion 2nd Marines 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit Task Force Tarawa 1st Marine Division
Battles/wars	Vietnam War Operation Iraqi Freedom
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit

Major General Richard F. Natonski is the Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division. He assumed command on 20 August 2004. This article is becoming very long. ... 1st Battalion 2nd Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The 1st Marine Division is the oldest, largest (active duty), and most decorated division-sized unit in the United States Marine Corps representing a combat-ready force of more than 19,000 men and women. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... For other uses of the term, see Iraq war (disambiguation) The 2003 invasion of Iraq (also called the 2nd or 3rd Persian Gulf War) began on March 20, 2003, when forces belonging primarily to the United States and the United Kingdom invaded Iraq arguably without the explicit backing of the... The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. ... Defense Superior Service Medal The Defense Superior Service Medal of the United States is a senior decoration of the Department of Defense. ... The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces which is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ... The 1st Marine Division is the oldest, largest (active duty), and most decorated division-sized unit in the United States Marine Corps representing a combat-ready force of more than 19,000 men and women. ... August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Biography

Richard Natonski graduated from the University of Louisville in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. The University of Louisville (also known as U of L, Louisville, or the Ville) is a public, state-supported university located in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. It is mandated [1] by the Kentucky General Assembly to be a Preeminent Metropolitan Research University. ... A Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B., from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or program in the arts and/or sciences. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

Upon completion of The Basic School in 1974, Lieutenant Natonski served as a platoon commander and executive officer with Company H, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines. There he participated in Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations in Cambodia (Operation Eagle Pull)^[1] and in South Vietnam (Operation Frequent Wind). The Basic School (TBS) is where all newly commissioned United States Marine Corps officers are sent to learn the art and science of being a Marine officer. ... 2nd Battalion 4th Marines (2/4) is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. ... Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area  - Total  - % water 173,809 km² N/A Population  - Total  - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ... USAF CH-53 helicopters on the deck of Midway during Operation Frequent Wind, April 1975 Operation Frequent Wind was the emergency evacuation of Americans by helicopter from Saigon, South Vietnam in April 1975 during the last days of the Vietnam War. ...

Transferring to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in July 1975, Lieutenant Natonski was assigned as a series commander in Company A, 1st Recruit Training Battalion and subsequently as the battalion operations officer. In April 1978, Captain Natonski was transferred to Marine Barracks, 8th and I, where he served as executive and commanding officer of Company B. Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego is a United States military installation in San Diego, California. ... Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. is located at 8th and I streets in Washington, D.C.. Established by the U.S. Marine Corps in 1801, it is an historical site and home to the Commandant and to enlisted Marines who perform ceremonial functions, such as honor guards and funeral escorts. ...

Upon completion of this tour in Washington, D.C. in 1981, he spent the summer as a platoon commander at Officer Candidate School prior to attending the Amphibious Warfare School in Quantico, Virginia. Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ... The United States Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS) is a school located in MCB Quantico, providing initial training and screening for potential officers of Marines. ... The Marine Corps Base Quantico, near Fredericksburg, Virginia, is one of the largest United States Marine Corps bases in the world. ...

In July 1982, he was assigned as the operations officer for 1st Battalion, 5th Marines at Camp Pendleton, California. Subsequent to his tour in the 1st Marine Division, Major Natonski was transferred to Headquarters Marine Corps in July 1984, where he served in the Ground Combat Requirements Branch of the Plans, Policy, and Operations Department. From 1987 to 1988, he attended the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. 1st Battalion 5th Marines (1/5) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Pendleton, California consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors. ... Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is near Oceanside, California. ... Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC), located in Washington, D.C., includes the offices of the Commandant of the Marine Corps and various agencies and staff functions. ...

Following his instruction at Quantico, he was assigned as an Observer to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization in the Middle East. Upon completion of this tour in June 1989, he was transferred to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at Cherry Point, North Carolina, where he was assigned as the G-3 plans officer. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Official force name Second Marine Aircraft Wing Other names 2 MAW The Wing Branch United States Marine Corps Chain of Command II MEF Description Combat ready expeditionary aviation forces. ... Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point is a United States airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. ...

In July 1991, Lieutenant Colonel Natonski was transferred to 2nd Marine Division, where he served as the executive officer of the 2nd Marine Regiment until assuming command of 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines in May 1992. As commanding officer, he participated in Operation GTMO,^[2] a humanitarian relief mission for Haitian migrants in Cuba and Operations Restore Hope and Operation Continue Hope in Somalia. He completed his tour in the Division as the deputy G-3. The U.S. 2nd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground-force component of the II Marine Expeditionary Force. ... While Executive officer literally refers to a person responsible for the performance of duties involved in running an organization, the exact meaning of the role is highly variable, depending on the organization. ... The 2nd Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. ... 1st Battalion 2nd Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

From 1994 to 1995 he attended the NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy. Colonel Natonski served in the II MEF Operations Section until assuming command of 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in October 1995. Colonel Natonski made two deployments as MEU commander supporting operations in Bosnia and Kuwait. In May 1998, he gave up command of the MEU and reported to the Joint Staff in the Pentagon where he was assigned duties as the chief of the CENTCOM Division, Joint Staff (J-3) Operations Directorate and subsequently the Deputy Director for Operations in the National Military Command Center. Following his tour on the Joint Staff, Brigadier General Natonski served first as the Director of the Strategy and Plans Division and then as the Director of the Operations Division in the Plans, Policies, and Operations Department of Headquarters Marine Corps. The Roman Colosseum Rome (Italian and Latin Roma) is the capital city of Italy, and of its Lazio region. ... The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF), one of three MEFs in the Marine Corps, is a combined arms force consisting of ground, air, and logistics forces possessing the capability of projecting offensive combat power ashore while sustaining itself in combat without external assistance for a period of 60... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Motto: none Anthem: Intermeco Capital Sarajevo Largest city Sarajevo Official language(s) Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Government Republic  - Presidency members Sulejman Tihić1 (Bosniak) Borislav Paravac (Serb) Ivo Miro Jović (Croat)  - Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adnan Terzić Independence From Yugoslavia   - Recognized 6 April 1992  Area    - Total 51,197 km... A regular pentagon A pentagram enclosed in a pentagon In geometry, a pentagon is any five-sided polygon. ... Emblem of the United States Central Command. ...

Brigadier General Natonski assumed command of 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) in June 2002. From January to June 2003 the MEB deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During this operation 2nd MEB was redesignated as Task Force Tarawa and employed as a ground maneuver element under I MEF. For other uses of the term, see Iraq war (disambiguation) The 2003 invasion of Iraq (also called the 2nd or 3rd Persian Gulf War) began on March 20, 2003, when forces belonging primarily to the United States and the United Kingdom invaded Iraq arguably without the explicit backing of the... I MEF Logo The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force is a MAGTF of the United States Marine Corps primarily composed of the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and 1st Marine Logistics Group. ...

Major General Natonski assumed command of the 1st Marine Division in August of 2004, while in Iraq. There he led the ground maneuver element under I MEF through counter insurgency operations, the Battle of Fallujah (Operation AL FAJR), and the Iraqi National Elections in January 2005. Fallujah (Arabic: فلوجة; sometimes transliterated as Falluja and less commonly Fallouja, Falloujah, Faloojah, Faloojeh) is a city of about 350,000 inhabitants in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly 69km (43 miles) west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. ... Iraqi police officers hold up their index fingers marked with purple indelible ink, a security measure to prevent double voting. ...

On June 12, 2006, the Secretary of Defense announced that President George W. Bush had nominated MajGen Notonski for appointment ot the rank of lieutenant general, to be assigned as the the Deputy Commandant, Plans, Policies, and Operations.^[3] June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense, concerned with the armed services and The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American businessman and politician, was elected in 2000 as the 43rd President of the United States of America, re-elected in 2004, and is currently serving his second term in that office. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ...

Major General Natonski's decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two gold stars, Army Commendation Medal and Combat Action Ribbon. The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. ... Defense Superior Service Medal The Defense Superior Service Medal of the United States is a senior decoration of the Department of Defense. ... The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces which is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ... The Defense Meritorious Service Medal is the third highest award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense. ... The Meritorious Service Medal is a senior level military decoration presented to denote acts of non-combat meritorious service worthy of recognition. ... The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military award which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. ... The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military award which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. ... Combat Action Ribbon The Combat Action Ribbon is a personal military decoration of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, and which is awarded to those who, in any grade including and below that of a Captain in the Navy (or Colonel in the Marine Corps), have actively...

Notes

1. ^ 1975 "Eagle Pull" "Frequent Wind": The end of an era. Scarface-USMC.org (1999). Retrieved on 2006-08-06.
2. ^ Cuba Operation GTMO. U.S. Army. Retrieved on 2006-08-06.
3. ^ Marine Corps Gazette, June 2006.

2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining. ...

See also

United States Marine Corps Portal

Source: http://www. ...

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps.

• Major General Richard F. Natonski, CG 1st Marine Division. General Officer Biographies. Headquarters Marine Corps, USMC (April 26, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-08-06.

• "General Officer Announcements", Marine Corps Gazette, June 2006. Retrieved on 2006-08-06.