R 291905Z JUN 22
ALMAR 020/22
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS//
SUBJ/PASSING OF GENERAL RICHARD I. NEAL, 26TH ASSISTANT COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS//
REF/A/DOC/DON/29JUN22//
AMPN/REF A IS ALNAV 043/22, DEATH OF GENERAL RICHARD I. NEAL, 26TH ASSISTANT COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. On 17 June 2022, the 26th Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Richard I. Neal passed away. General Neal’s family will hold a memorial service on 6 July 2022 at 1400. Per the reference, the National Ensign will be flown at half-mast on all USMC bases and stations on that day.
2. General Neal was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps upon graduation in 1965 from Northeastern University, Boston, MA, where he received a B.S. degree in History and Education. He also held an M.Ed. degree from Tulane University, New Orleans, LA (1973). Following completion of The Basic School, Quantico, VA and subsequently the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, OK, General Neal was assigned to 3d Marine Division, Republic of Vietnam, where he served as a Forward Observer with 3d Battalion, 9th Marines. He returned to Vietnam in January 1970, where he was assigned as an Infantry Battalion Advisor to the Vietnamese Marine Corps. Upon his return, he attended Amphibious Warfare School.
3. In 1973, he served as Commanding Officer, 2d 155 Howitzer Battery, 2d Field Artillery Group at Camp Lejeune, NC Following a tour as head of the Company Grade Assignment Section at Headquarters Marine Corps, he attended the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. He served on the Air-Ground Exchange Program as S-3, Marine Aircraft Group 36, on Okinawa. Upon return from overseas, General Neal was assigned as Director, Operations Division, Amphibious Warfare School, Quantico, VA. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1981.
4. In 1982, he was selected to attend the National War College in Washington, D.C. Upon completion of school, he returned to Camp Lejeune, NC to command 5th Battalion, 10th Marines. General Neal was promoted to colonel in 1985 and was assigned to U.S. Central Command, MacDill, Air Force Base, FL, as the Chief of Policy/Strategy Division and later as Chief of the Special Projects Division in the J-5 Directorate. General Neal was assigned duty as Director, Amphibious Warfare School, Quantico, VA in August 1988. While serving in this capacity, he was selected for promotion to brigadier general in December 1989. In July 1990, General Neal was advanced to brigadier general and assigned duty as Director, Manpower Plans and Policy Division, Manpower and Reserve Affairs Department. He served in this capacity until May 1992.
5. From September 1990 to April 1991, he was assigned temporary duty as Deputy for Operations at U.S. Central Command for Operations DESERT SHIELD/ DESERT STORM. General Neal was assigned as Deputy Commanding General, II Marine Expeditionary Force in June 1992. From June 1992 to August 1992, he served as Commanding General, Joint Task Force for Operation GITMO, a humanitarian relief effort for Haitian migrants at Guantanamo Naval Base, Cuba. General Neal was advanced to major general in April 1993, and assigned as Commanding General, 2d Marine Division. In August 1994, he was assigned as Deputy Commander in Chief/Chief General of Staff, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, FL and advanced to lieutenant general in October 1994. General Neal was promoted to General on 19 September 1996, and he assumed duties as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps on 27 September 1996 until his retirement in October 1998.
6. General Neal's personal decorations include: the Defense Distinguished Service Medal; Silver Star Medal with gold star in lieu of a second award; the Defense Superior Service Medal with palm in lieu of a second award; Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V"; Purple Heart; Navy Commendation Medal; Navy Achievement Medal; and the Combat Action Ribbon.
7. General Neal’s contributions to the Marine Corps are too numerous to list. Serving on the battlefields of Vietnam and Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM, General Neal was as well-respected for his humble and approachable leadership style as he was for his combat skill and tenacity – earning him the nickname “The Humble Powerhouse.” He truly set the standard for Marine Corps leaders, and his work entitled “What Now, Lieutenant” is featured on the Commandant’s Professional Reading List for its valuable perspective on leadership. After a highly-distinguished career in uniform, General Neal remained dedicated to our Corps and his fellow Marines. From his continued mentoring of Marines and his service as a senior fellow for National Defense University’s CAPSTONE course, to his active involvement in the Military Officers Association of America, he spent his retirement continuing his legacy of serving others and giving back to the country and community he held dear. He was highly admired and respected, and he will be sorely missed.
8. Funeral and burial: A memorial service to honor the life of General Neal is scheduled for Wednesday, 6 July at 1400 at St. Joseph’s of Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. A private reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, the Neal family has asked that donations be made to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.
9. David H. Berger, General, U.S. Marine Corps, Commandant of the Marine Corps.//