Richard P. Mills

Lieutenant General Richard P. Mills is a retired United States Marine Corps officer, who served as commander of the Marine Forces Reserve from 2013 to 2015 and Marine Forces North, headquartered at the Marine Corps Support Facility New Orleans. Previously he was deputy commandant for combat development and integration and commanding general, Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, Virginia, and, prior to that assignment, was commander of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward)/Regional Command Southwest in Afghanistan.

Biography A native of Huntington, New York, Mills graduated from Franklin and Marshall College with a BA in political science and a minor in history and was commissioned in 1975 as a second lieutenant via Officer Candidate School.

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

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. Carter remained in charge of Kandahar and Mills became the commander of the newly formed Regional Command Southwest and took under command 8,000 of the 9,500 British troops in Afghanistan, as well as 20,000 U.S. Marines in Helmand Province.

After his return from Afghanistan, Mills was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in July 2011 and replaced Lieutenant General George Flynn as deputy commandant for combat development and integration and commanding general, Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, Virginia.

In August 2013, LtGen Mills assumed command of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North, and served in this capacity until his retirement on October 1, 2015, after 40 years of active service. He currently serves as president and chief executive officer of the Marine Corps University Foundation.

Lieutenant General Mills has a reputation for having a good sense of humor and being open to subordinates, officers have told reporters. Junior officers are "not afraid to approach him".

Lt.Gen Mills is an avid fan of the New York Giants football team.

Awards and decorations