Robert F. Castellvi is a retired United States Marine Corps major general who served on active duty for more than 38 years. His final active-duty assignment was as Assistant Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations at Headquarters Marine Corps. He retired from active duty in May 2022.
Early life and education Castellvi was born in Miami, Florida, and was raised in Chicago, Illinois. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois where he earned his Marine Corps commission through the NROTC program. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Infantry Officer Advance Course, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, The School of Advanced Warfighting, as well as the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. Castellvi also earned Master's Degrees from the Marine Corps University, the National Defense University, and Capitol College.
Military career
Castellvi was commissioned into the Marine Corps via the NROTC program in May 1984. As an infantry officer, he served in the Fleet Marine Force in all three Marine Expeditionary Forces.
Castellvi participated in Operation Earnest Will in the Persian Gulf with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 1985, Operation Inherent Resolve as the deputy commanding general for operations, Operation RESTORE HOPE, and Operation Desert Storm.
On 22 March 2017, then-Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis nominated Robert F. Castellvi to the rank of Major General while he was deputy commanding general of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (dual-hatted as 2 MEB commander). He was confirmed by the Senate on 1 May 2017. He was the commander of Marine Corps Installations East from 12 July 2013 to 31 July 2015, and was succeeded by Major General Thomas D. Weidley. He was also a director of the Manpower Management Division.
He was formerly the commanding officer of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade and then the 1st Marine Division, succeeding Eric M. Smith. He served as commanding general of the 1st Marines from 6 July 2018 to 22 September 2020, passing the baton to Major General Roger B. Turner Jr. While serving as the commanding general of the 1st Marine Division, Castellvi relieved Lt. Col. Francisco Zavala, the commanding officer of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. Castellvi relieved Zavala on 7 May 2019 for "loss of trust and confidence" in the commander's ability to lead the battalion.
15th Marine Expeditionary Unit AAV mishap
On July 30, 2020, an assault amphibious vehicle (AAV) mishap off the coast of Southern California on July 30, 2020, resulted in the drowning deaths of 8 Marines and a Navy corpsman in a "preventable" accident. The Command Investigation by I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) into the AAV mishap was completed in March 2021; it "revealed a confluence of human and mechanical failures caused the sinking of the mishap AAV, and contributed to a delayed rescue effort."
On 1 May 2021, on orders from David H. Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps, an investigation determined that Castellvi "bears some responsibiity" for the lack of training that lead to the drownings. He was the commanding general of the 1st Marines at Camp Pendleton at the time of the mishap.
As a result of the second investigation, on 1 June 2021, Castellvi was formally counseled by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, removing him from consideration for promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General. .
The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (15 MEU) investigation was ongoing at the time of Castellvi's suspension. In October 2021, the results of investigation were revealed: It confirmed training and maintenance issues, as well as determining responsibility for the failure. As a result, in addition to Castellvi losing his position as inspector general, all Marines below him in the chain of command received some level of administrative discipline. In 2022, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro issued formal administrative censure to five senior Marine Corps and Navy officers for their roles in the AAV incident. The three investigations into the incident "revealed a 'chain of failure' at nearly every level of command."
Final post and retirement After being relieved from his position as inspector general in June 2021, Castellvi became the Assistant Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations (ADC PP&O).
He retired from active duty in May 2022 after over 38 years of active duty. Castellvi has served in the private sector as a Defense Consultant / Senior Military Advisor in the Middle East.
Awards and decorations
Major General Robert F. Castellvi is the recipient of the following awards: Parachutist BadgeRifle Expert Badge (7th award) 1993 recipient of the Leftwich Trophy for leadership Combat Action Ribbon with one Gold Star Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit with one Gold Star Bronze Star Medal with V device Meritorious Service Medal with three Gold Stars Marine Corps Commendation Medal Army Commendation Medal US Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two Gold Stars
References
External links
Official biography of Major General Robert F. Castellvi at 1st Marine Division