As a Second Lieutenant, General Robert Kingston earned two Silver Stars for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy as Commander, Task Force Kingston in Korea. In Vietnam, he earned a Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism commanding forces on a search and destroy mission. He commanded multiple Ranger and Special Forces units during his career, and served as the first commander of U.S. Central Command when it was formed in 1983 in response to the Iranian Revolution and the Soviet Union occupation of Afghanistan.
