Robert Charles Kingston (July 16, 1928 – February 28, 2007) was a United States Army general who served as the commander of U.S. Central Command.
Early life and education
Kingston was born in Brookline, Massachusetts on July 16, 1928, and graduated from Brookline High School in 1947. He entered the United States 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. Kingston later completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in education at the University of Omaha in 1965 and earned an M.S. degree in international relations from George Washington University. He graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College in 1960.
Military career
As a second lieutenant, Kingston commanded Task Force Kingston in the early phase of the Korean War, driving his unit all the way to the Yalu River. He was awarded two Silver Stars for his actions.
Kingston 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.
