BRIGADIER GENERAL
RUSSELL H. SUTTON, USMC
(RETIRED)
Brigadier General Russell H. Sutton retired from the Marine Corps 1 October 1994. His last active duty assignment was as the Commanding General, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California.
General Sutton was born on 11 July 1940 in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Alabama with a M.S. degree in Physical Education in 1964, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps upon completion of the Officer Candidates School, Quantico, Virginia, in November 1964.
Following completion of The Basic School at Quantico, General Sutton transferred overseas where he served as a rifle platoon commander with the 2d Battalion, 9th Marines in the Republic of Vietnam. Upon his return from Vietnam in May 1966, he served as a platoon commander and physical training instructor at the Officer Candidates School, Quantico. He returned to Vietnam in 1968, where he served as Company Commander, Company F, 2d Battalion, 9th Marines and as a Battalion Logistics Officer.
Transferring back to the states, he completed the Amphibious Warfare School in 1970. He then served as the Ground Exchange Officer with the British Royal Marines assigned to 41 Commando stationed in the United Kingdom and Malta.
From 1972 until 1975, General Sutton was an instructor at the United States Naval Academy and was subsequently reassigned to the 2d Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for duty as Battalion Operations Officer, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, Operations Officer, 8th Marines; and Assistant G-3 Training Officer, respectively.
General Sutton’s next assignment was to the United States Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, where he was a student until 1970. He then departed the U.S. to serve as the Ground Operations Officer, C-3 Combined Forces Command, Republic of Korea. In July 1980, he began preparation for duty at JUSMAGTHAI by attending the Defense Language Institute, Presidio of Monterey, California. He arrived in Thailand in June 1981 to serve as Senior Marine Officer and Royal Thai Marine Corps Force Requirements Officer.
From 1984 to 1985, General Sutton was a student at the Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Upon completion of school, he served as the Director, Staff Planning School, Landing Force Training Command, Pacific, Coronado, California.