Carlton W. Fulford, Jr.
General, U.S. Marine Corps

Carlton W. Fulford, Jr. was born on 11 May 1944 in Newnan, GA. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1966 and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. Following completion of The Basic School, Marine Corps Base Quantico, and the Vietnamese Language School, he was assigned as a Platoon Commander with Company D, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines in the Republic of Vietnam. He was promoted to First Lieutenant in October 1967, and subsequently reassigned as Commanding Officer, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines until his return from Vietnam in June 1968.

His other Fleet Marine Force assignments include: Commanding Officer, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines (1971-72); Executive Officer, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines (1979-80); G-3 Training Officer for the 2nd Marine Division (1980-81); Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines (1981-82); Assistant Chief of Staff G-3 for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade (1987-89); Commanding Officer, 7th Marines (1989-91); Commanding Officer, Regimental Combat Team 7 (Task Force Ripper) during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm; Commanding General, 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (1991-92), Commanding General, III Marine Expeditionary Force (1994-95), and Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force (1996-98); Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific /Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific/Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Bases, Pacific headquartered at Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii (1998-99).

His non-FMF assignments include: Company Commander, Naval Academy Preparatory School (1968-69); Management Engineer, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona (1973-76); Economics Instructor, U.S. Naval Academy (1977-78); Branch Head, Training Department, HQMC (1982-84); Strategy Planner, Forces and Strategy Branch, U.S. Pacific Command (1985-87); Commanding General, Landing Force Training Command, Atlantic (1991-92); Director, Training and Education Division, Marine Corps Combat Development Command (1992-94); Commanding General Marine Corps Bases, Japan (1994-95); Vice Director, The Joint Staff (1995-96); Director, The Joint Staff (1999-00); and Deputy Commander-in-Chief, U.S. European Command (2000-02).

In addition to The Basic School, Fulford graduated from the Infantry Officers Advanced Course; Command and Staff College; and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. Fulford also earned a Master of Science degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1973.

General Fulford retired from the Marine Corps in 2002.

Medals and Awards

Defense Distinguished Service Medal w/ 1 Oak Leaf Cluster
Silver Star Medal
Legion of Merit w/ Valor Device and 1 Award Star
Bronze Star Medal w/ Valor Device
Purple Heart w/ 1 Award Star
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal
Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal w/ 1 Award Star
Combat Action Ribbon w/ 1 Award Star
Navy Presidential Unit Citation
Navy Unit Commendation
National Defense Service Medal w/ 2 Service Stars
Vietnam Service Medal
Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/ 2 Service Stars
Vietnam Gallantry Cross w/ Palm
Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Badges

Basic Parachute Badge
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge