Rear Admiral Harold Robinson

Last Name: Robinson

First Name: Harold
Suffix: Doctor of Divinity

Medals and Honors:

• Navy Distinguished Service Medal

• Legion of Merit

• Meritorious Service Medal

• Fleet Marine Force Service Ribbon

• Naval Commendation Medal with two Gold Stars

ACNSL Offices and Committees: Co-founder

Rank: Rear Admiral (Lower Half)

Service/Department: U.S. Navy Chaplains Corps

Last or Significant Assignment: Deputy Chief of Chaplains for Reserve Matters and Director of Religious Programs, Marine Force Reserve; Special Assistant for Reserve Manpower Office of the Chief of Naval Chaplains

Areas of Experience: Fleet Marine, Fifth Fleet, NAVCENT

Articles, Books and Publications:

A native of Massachusetts, Rear Admiral Harold L. Robinson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1968. His major fields of study were History and Political Science. He earned a Bachelor of Hebrew Letters in 1972, a Master of Arts and ordination as a Rabbi in 1974 all from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1999 the College Institute awarded him the degree of Doctor of Divinity, and in 2005 the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters was conferred by Coe College.

Following ordination, he was Rabbi of Temple Israel of Gary, Ind., 1974-1977, the Cape Cod Synagogue (1977-1998) and B'nai Zion Congregation in Shreveport, La, 1998-2006. He has served on numerous boards and commissions, including twelve years on the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, six years on the Resolutions Committee of Reform Judaism and four years on the Commission on Religious Living of Reform Judaism. He served for seven years as Chair of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, Cape and Islands Advisory Council. Rear Adm. Robinson served as the Director of The Jewish Welfare Board – Jewish Chaplains Council in New York City 2006-20016 and as part time instructor of Doctoring at Alpert Medical School, Brown University 2017-2019.

Commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Seminarian Student Program, in 1971, Rear Adm. Robinson received a superseding commission as a Chaplain in 1975. His Reserve Component assignments have included, Individual Ready Reserve unit 417; MAF Rel 713; Training Officer, Executive Officer and twice Commanding Officer of MAF Rel 101; and Regimental Chaplain, 25th Marine Regiment 4th Marine Division. He was assigned in 1989 as Executive Officer and then in 1990 as Commanding Officer of SUBLANT Rel 101, and as REDCOMREGONE Staff Chaplain, 1992-1994. He was Force Chaplain, Iceland Defense Force, 1995-1996, Group Chaplain 4th Force Service Support Group, MFR USMC, 1995-1998 and Contingency Directorate Chaplain at Naval Facilities Engineering Command and Seabee National Chaplain 1998, and as Special Assistant for Reserve Manpower Office of the Chief of Naval Chaplains 2000-2004.

Rear Adm. Robinson has been a basic course instructor at Chaplain School, Newport, R.I.; participated in numerous Marine Corps exercises; served at NAS Whidbey Island; NSB New London, Conn.; NSY Portsmouth, N.H.; at NTC Orlando, Fla.; at NTC Great Lakes, Ill.; and at the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington Navy Yard.

Overseas assignments included: NSA Naples, Italy: Site One, Holy Lock, Scotland; Iceland Defense Force, NAS Keflavik, Iceland; MCB Smedley D. Butler, Okinawa, Japan; : NSA Guam: NAVCENT/Fifth Fleet, Manama, Bahrain: and JTF HOA Camp Lemonier Djibouti, additionally he served US and coalition Forces at JTF GITMO, NAVSTA Guantanamo Bay Cuba, and in Qatar, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq.

Selected for Flag rank in 2003, in 2004 he was assigned as Deputy Chief of Chaplains for Reserve Matters and Director of Religious Programs, Marine Force Reserve. Rear Adm. Robinson also served as Vice President and President of the COMNAVRESFOR Policy Board FY 2004-2005, the first staff corps officer so assigned.

Personal awards include The Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, the Naval Commendation Medal with two Gold Stars, the Fleet Marine Force Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Deployment Ribbon.