Ronald S. Coleman (born August 27, 1948) is a former

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

officer. Coleman, advanced in rank to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

on October 27, 2006, became the second

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

in the Marine Corps to reach the 3-star rank.''Marine Corps Times'', October 27, 2006.

Personal

Ronald S. Coleman was born on August 24, 1948. He graduated from Darby-Colwyn Senior High School, Darby, Pennsylvania, where he played basketball, baseball, and football. After high school graduation, he attended North East Christian School for a year. He then enlisted in the Navy and served in Vietnam. After two years of service, he was discharged from the Navy. He returned to Darby as a part-time police officer while attending

Cheyney State University Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is a public historically black university in Cheyney, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1837 as the Institute for Colored Youth, it is the oldest of all historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs ...

. He graduated in 1973. He then taught and coached in Darby before returning to the military. In 2016, Coleman had a street named in his honor — Ronald S. Coleman Boulevard — in his hometown of Darby, Pennsylvania. Coleman was married to Kathryn Jane Cashion for 50 years. They have five daughters. Kathryn Coleman died in 2014.

Military career

Coleman joined the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

in April 1968 and was discharged upon his return from Danang,

Republic of Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the French Union, with it ...

in June 1970. He returned to civilian life and earned his undergraduate degree in 1973. After working for a year, he decided to return to the military, interviewing with the four branches, before deciding on the Marine Corps. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in December 1974. Following

the Basic School The Basic School (TBS) is where all newly commissioned and appointed (for warrant officers) United States Marine Corps officers are taught the basics of being an "Officer of Marines." The Basic School is located in Stafford County, Virginia to ...

in 1975, he reported to

Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune ( or ) is a United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports ( ...

with

2nd Marine Regiment The 2nd Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. They are based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and fall under the command of the 2nd Marine Division and the II Marine Expeditionary Force. O ...

and served as the regimental supply officer, platoon commander, and S-4A. In November 1977, Coleman transferred to 3rd Force Service Support Group,

Okinawa, Japan is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan. It consists of three main island groups—the Okinawa Islands, the Sakishima Islands, and the Daitō Islands—spread across a maritime zone approximately 1,000 kilometers east to west ...

, and deployed with Landing Support Unit Foxtrot. In November 1978, he reported to

Officer Candidate School An officer candidate school (OCS) is a military school which trains civilians and Enlisted rank, enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a Commission (document), commission as Commissioned officer, officers in the armed forces of a country. H ...

, where he served as the S-4, supply officer, candidate platoon commander and director, Non-Commissioned Officer School. He attended

Amphibious Warfare School Marine Corps University is a military education university system of the United States Marine Corps. It is part of the Naval University System and accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools t ...

during the 1981–82 academic year and was then transferred to HQMC Officer Assignment Branch, and served as a company grade monitor and administrative assistant to the director, Personnel Management Division. In August 1985, Major Coleman was assigned as an instructor at Amphibious Warfare School. In 1987, he attended the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. General Richard B

In 1988, he returned to Okinawa and served as the operations officer, 3rd Landing Support Battalion; executive officer, 3rd Maintenance Battalion; and commanding officer, Combat Service Support Detachment 35, Contingency Marine Air Group Task Force 4-90. In June 1991, he reported to HQMC and served as the logistics project officer and head, Maintenance Policy Section, Installations and Logistics Branch. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in May 1992. In June 1993, he assumed duty as commanding officer, 2nd Maintenance Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group, and in December 1994, was reassigned as the group deputy operations officer. In August 1995, he reported to the Industrial College of the Armed Forces,

National Defense University National Defence (or Defense) University (or College) may refer to: :''Alphabetical by country'' University * Marshal Fahim National Defense University, Afghanistan * National Defense University (Azerbaijan) * People's Liberation Army National Defe ...

. In 1996, he reported to the

Pentagon In geometry, a pentagon () is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple polygon, simple pentagon is 540°. A pentagon may be simple or list of self-intersecting polygons, self-intersecting. A self-intersecting ...

in the Logistics Directorate J-4, as deputy division chief, Logistic Readiness Center. He was promoted to colonel in July 1997 and returned to Camp Lejeune in 1998 for duty with the

2nd Marine Division The 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina a ...

as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4. In April 1999, he deployed to the Balkan Region and served as J-4, Joint Task Force Shining Hope. He assumed command of 2nd Supply Battalion in July 1999. In June 2001 he reported to HQMC as the Assistant Deputy Commandant Installations and Logistics (Facilities) and was promoted to brigadier general in November 2002. Coleman reported to 2nd Force Service Support Group in June 2003 and deployed in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...

as Commanding General Special Purpose MAGTF until November 2003. He deployed again from February 2004 until June 2004 as commanding general, Combined Joint Task Force Haiti, in support of

Operation Secure Tomorrow Operation Secure Tomorrow is an operation that took place from February 2004 to July 2004 in Haiti. After a government collapse in Haiti and the resignation of President Jean Bertrand Aristide, the United States invaded Haiti to police the count ...

. For his leadership in Haiti, the French government awarded him the Gold Medal of French Defense. Coleman was assigned as the director of the Personnel Management Division on July 1, 2005, and was advanced in rank to major general in May 2006. On September 29, 2006, Coleman was assigned as Deputy Commander for Manpower and Reserve Affairs and selected for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general. He received his third star on October 27, 2006. At the time, he was only the second African American to attain the rank of lieutenant general in the United States Marine Corps. His third star was pinned by LtGen Frank E. Petersen, the first African-American to become a general in the U.S. Marine Corps. In December 2009, Coleman retired and turned his command of Manpower and Reserve Affairs over to LtGen Richard C. Zilmer.

Awards and decorations

Notes

References

: * * *

External links