EOTG SNCOIC
Master Gunnery Sergeant Robert Gupton
Master Gunnery Sergeant Gupton was born on 28 September 1979. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1997 and attended Recruit Training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, where he graduated as the Company Honor Graduate with the rank of Private First Class. Following Recruit Training, he attended the School of Infantry at Camp Geiger, North Carolina for assignment as an infantryman. Upon graduation, he reported to 1st Battalion, 6th Marines for duty where he was assigned to the Scout Sniper Platoon and attained the rank of Lance Corporal. His first deployment with 1/6, was on the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in support of Joint Task Force Noble Anvil for OPERATION ALLIED FORCE in 1998, where he was promoted to Corporal. On his second deployment with 1/6, he was promoted to Sergeant while on a Unit Deployment Program to Okinawa, Japan in 1999.
In January of 2000, Sergeant Gupton was selected from the reconnaissance screening to attend Amphibious Reconnaissance School at Fort Story, Virginia. Upon graduating, he was assigned to 2d Reconnaissance Battalion and served as a Team Leader. Throughout the next five years, he completed two deployments to OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM in Mosul and Fallujah, earning a combat meritorious promotion to Staff Sergeant.
In 2005, Staff Sergeant Gupton received orders to 2d Force Reconnaissance Company. While at 2d Force Reconnaissance Company, the colors were lowered and the 2d Marine Special Operations Battalion (MSOB) colors were established. He then deployed with 2d MSOB in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM to Jalalabad, Afghanistan when he was selected for the rank of Gunnery Sergeant.
Once arriving back to the United States, Gunnery Sergeant Gupton received orders to the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center where he served as the Chief Instructor of the Marine Combatant Diving Course from October 2007 to September 2011.
Upon completion of instructor duty, Gunnery Sergeant Gupton received orders back to 2d Reconnaissance Battalion, where he served as a Platoon Sergeant in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM in 2012. During which, he promoted to the rank of Master Sergeant and was appointed as the Company Operations Chief. He then deployed in 2013 with the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Crisis Response where he participated in OPERATION OAKEN SONNETT to evacuate personnel from the American Embassy in South Sudan. After a successful tour as an operations chief, Master Sergeant Gupton received orders to II Expeditionary Operations Training Group (EOTG).
In 2015, Master Sergeant Gupton served at II EOTG, II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), as the Staff Non-Commissioned Officer-in-Charge of the Special Missions Training Branch, where he oversaw the training of reconnaissance platoons in Close Quarters Tactics, Reconnaissance & Surveillance, Visit/Board/Search and Seizure and Urban Sniper in support of the 22nd, 24th and 26th MEU.
In August 2016, Master Sergeant Gupton received orders to Combat Development and Integration, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, where he served as the Reconnaissance Capabilities Specialist and advisor to the Capabilties Integration Officer on all aspects of reconnaissance equipment and employment. In December of 2017, Master Sergeant Gupton was selected for the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant. He then received orders to serve as the Battalion Operations Chief at 3d Reconnaissance Battalion, Okinawa, Japan. In 2021, Master Gunnery Sergeant Gupton received orders to III EOTG, III MEF, where he is serving as the Senior Enlisted Advisor.
Master Gunnery Sergeant Gupton’s personal awards include the Bronze Star with combat “V”, Meritorious Service Medal with gold star in lieu of second award, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with combat “V” and gold star in lieu of second award, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon with gold star in lieu of second award.