Richard P. Mills (general)

For other persons of the same name, see Richard Mills.

Allegiance	United States of America
Service / branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1975 – Present
Rank	Major General
Commands	I Marine Expeditionary Force Multi-National Force - West (Iraq) 1st Marine Division Marine Corps Headquarters File:USEUCOM logo Flare 3D.jpg United States European Command 24th MEU II Marine Expeditionary Force 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines File:Fleet-6.jpg United States Sixth Fleet 26th MEU Marine Aircraft Group 29 USMC Recruit Depot 3rd Marine Division 1st Battalion, 5th Marines
Battles / wars	Operation Joint Guardian Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom

Major General Richard P. Mills is a senior United States Marine Corps officer and currently commands I Marine Expeditionary Force in Afghanistan.

A native of Huntington, New York, Mills was commissioned in 1975 as a Second Lieutenant via Officer Candidate School.

Mills reported to 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton where he served until 1978.

Following that he was assigned for a year to the 3rd Marine Division on Okinawa, Japan.

From 1979 to 1982 he was part of the 2nd Recruit Training Battalion at Parris Island, South Carolina. Upon his promotion to Captain he assumed command of Company D, Recruit Training Regiment.

Captain Mills studied at the Amphibious Warfare School in Quantico, Virginia, then moved to the 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Mills was promoted to Major in 1986 and assigned to Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington, DC from 1986 to 1989. He later attended the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, then spent a year as a Military Observer with the United Nations in Palestine.

Mills was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and served as the Operations Officer of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) from 1993-1995. Following that he was assigned to the staff of the Commander of the United States Sixth Fleet in Gaeta, Italy. He returned to the 2nd Marine Division in 1997 when he assumed command of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines.

Lieutenant Colonel Mills studied at the UK Royal College of Defence Studies in London in 1999. before returning to II Marine Expeditionary Force.

He was selected to command the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) in 2000 and promoted to Colonel. Under his command the 24th MEU (SOC) deployed in Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of Task Force Tarawa.

In June 2003 Colonel Mills reported to Headquarters, United States European Command in Stuttgart, Germany as the Assistant Chief of Staff. Upon his promotion to Brigadier General in May 2004 he became the Deputy Director of Operations at EUCOM. In 2006 he was assigned to the Headquarters of the Marine Corps as Director, Manpower Management Division.

In May 2007 Brigadier General Mills became commander of the 1st Marine Division. and spent most of the next two years in Iraq.

He was promoted to Major General in late 2007 and from October 2007 to January 2009 served in a dual role as Assistant Division Commander, 1st Marine Division and Commander, Ground Combat Element, Multi-national Forces – West in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Upon his return from Iraq, Major General Mills continued as Assistant Division Commander until July 2009 when he resumed command of the 1st Marine Division.

In December 2009 Major General Mills was selected to command the I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) and deployed to Afghanistan in April 2010, taking command of all Marine combat units in the country. As part of a restructuring of the NATO led mission in Afghanistan, Mills also commands 8,000 of the 9,500 British troops in Afghanistan, replacing British Major-General Nick Carter. Carter remains in charge of Kandahar but no longer commands most of the British force in Afghanistan. Major General Mills also commands 20,000 U.S. Marines in Helmand Province.

In his current role in Afghanistan, Mills is both the Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) and Commanding General, 1st Marine Division.

Since taking his current command, Mills is aware that his objective involves more than just victory on the battlefield. On the importance of training Afghan forces to succeed, he has been quoted as saying “We will be here with them as we develop the Afghan security forces to eventually take over our role, so we can leave,” On the importance of not leaving the Afghanistan until the country is ready, he has also been reported as saying the Afghans “have been very, very concerned we may leave them prematurely.”

Major General Mills has a reputation as having a good sense of humor and being open to subordinates, officers have been quoted as saying. Junior officers are “not afraid to approach him”.

Mills is a fervent fan of the New York Giants football team.

References

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

• "Official Biography: Major General Richard P. Mills, Commanding General I Marine Expediationary Force (Forward)". Biographies: General Officers & Senior Executives. Manpower & Reserve Affairs, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 22 July 2010.

External links

• Major General Richard P. Mills Commanding General I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) at USMC Manpower & Reserve Affairs website
• US Marine Commander Major-General Richard Mills tough but approachable at The Sunday Times Online (UK)
• British Troops in Afghanistan to get U.S. Commander at Thomson Reuters Foundation Alertnet
• Afghan Effort Fruitful but Fragile, Commander Says at Signon San Diego News