Lt. General Frank Libutti, USMC (Ret.)

At the time of his retirement, Lieutenant General Frank Libutti was the Commanding General, 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. He assumed command on June 22, 1999.  He was also the Commanding General of Marine Forces Central Command.

General Libutti is a native of Huntington, Long Island, New York.  Following graduation from The Citadel in 1966, he entered the Marine Corps Officer Candidate Program in August 1966 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in October of that year. In March 1967, he was assigned to duty with the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines in Vietnam, where he served as an Infantry Platoon Commander.

In 1968, he returned to Quantico for duty at the Officer Candidates School. During this tour, he served consecutively as Chief Instructor, Tactics Section; Commanding Officer, Candidate Company and Branch Head, Academic Section. He was promoted to captain in November 1969. Upon completion of his duties at Quantico, he remained there to attend the Amphibious Warfare School.

General Libutti transferred to Amphibious Squadron THREE, San Diego, California, in 1972, for duty as Squadron Combat Cargo Officer. Upon completion of a two-year tour there, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2d Marines, 2d Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, as an Infantry Company Commander for 14 months, followed by staff positions at the Battalion Headquarters. There he served as the Logistics Officer and later as the Operations Officer.

Promoted to major in May 1977, General Libutti was reassigned as the Executive Officer, Marine Barracks, Naples, Italy. He returned from overseas in August 1980 to attend the Command and Staff College at Quantico. Following graduation, he was transferred to Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C., for duty as the Head of the Career Management Section, Manpower Department. In May 1982, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and reassigned as the Assistant Secretary of the General Staff for the Office of the Assistant Commandant and Chief of Staff, where he served through May 1983. He was reassigned in June 1983 as the Senior Marine Aide to the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

From August 1985 until June 1986, General Libutti attended the National War College, Washington, D.C.  Following graduation, he was assigned as the Executive Officer, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California. In January 1987, General Libutti was reassigned as the Commanding Officer of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, where he remained in command until October 1987.  In October 1987, he was promoted to colonel and designated as the Commanding Officer, Contingency MAGTF 1-88, security operations in support of the reflagging of Kuwait oil tankers.

Returning to Camp Pendleton in May 1988, General Libutti served as the Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, 1st Marine Division. Following his posting as the G-2, he assumed command of the 11th MEU in August 1988 and remained in command until July 1990. The following month, General Libutti was reassigned to the Office of the Chairman, Joint Chief of Staff, for duty as the Marine Corps Member of the Chairman’s Staff Group where his primary focus was in support of the ongoing U.S. POW/MIA recovery efforts in Viet Nam.  While serving in this capacity, he was selected for promotion to brigadier general and was promoted to that grade on March 23, 1992. In July 1992, General Libutti was then assigned as the Commander, Forward Headquarters Element/Inspector General of the United States Central Command, MacDill AFB, Florida. On August 18, 1992, he was designated Commanding General, Joint Task Force Provide Relief (emergency airlift of food to Somalia and Kenya), a position he held until November 1992, at which time he resumed his duties in Tampa.

He was promoted to major general and assumed duties as Commanding General, 1st Marine Division on July 22, 1994. He served as the Division Commander until June 7, 1996. Following his duty as CG 1st Division, he served as the C/J-5 (Plans and Strategy), UN Command/US Command, Republic of Korea.  In 1997, he was reassigned as the Commanding General, III Marine Expeditionary Force/Commander, Marine Corps Bases Japan.

From January 2002 to May 2003, General Libutti served as the New York Police Department’s First Deputy Commissioner of Counter-Terrorism.  In September 2003, General Libutti served as the first Under Secretary for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate at the newly created U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  In September 2005, he became CEO/Chairman of the Board of Digital Fusion, a publically traded company, valued at $61M with approximately 300 employees.   Digital Fusion centered on IT initiatives and support for the US Missile Defense Agency.  Currently, General Libutti is serving as CEO/President of PS&S Global, a service disabled veteran owned small business (SDVOSB) located in Warren, N.J., where his focus is on environmental restoration, energy efficiency operations, and strategic security solutions.

General Libutti’s personal decorations include: The Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Distinguished Service Medal (first award), the Silver Star Medal; Defense Superior Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters; Legion of Merit with gold star; Purple Heart with two gold stars; Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal; Republic of Korea Chonsu Medal: and the Combat Action Ribbon. General Libutti was also presented with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, by the Emperor of Japan for service dedicated to the security of Japan and the mutual cooperation between Japan and the United States.  General Libutti is also the recipient of the Audie Murphy Patriotism Award.

General Libutti is married to the former Jeanie Wallace, a retired Navy Captain.  They have a daughter Michela in addition to his older children, Catherine and Christopher.