Richard F. Natonski

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Richard F. Natonski

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

Lieutenant General Richard F. Natonski is the United States Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations.^[1] He succeeded retiring Lt. Gen. Jan Huly on November 7, 2006. Previously he was Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division, assuming the command on 20 August 2004.

1 Biography
2 Notes
3 See also
4 References

[edit] 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.

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)^[2] and in South Vietnam (Operation Frequent Wind).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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,^[3] 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.^[4] Natonski became Deputy Commandant on November 7, 2006 upon the retirement of LtGen. Jan Huly and received his third star.

Lieutenant 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.