Major General Robert D. Orton was born in Sioux City, Iowa in 1939. During the Vietnam War he served as the Chemical Advisor for the 3rd Vietnamese Corps.

In his tenure as Chief of the NBC Defense Division in HQDA/DCSOPS, Major General Orton was instrumental in bringing about Congressional approval for production of binary chemical weapons, which helped facilitate the bilateral disarmament agreement between the U.S. and Soviet Union.

Major General Orton was Commandant of the Chemical School and Chief of Chemical during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, where his personal involvement in accelerated training, equipping and deploying of Fox Units to theatre proved to be a tremendous asset to field commanders.

Major General Orton retired from the U.S. Army in 1994. His awards include the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters and Bronze Star Medal.

Major General Robert D. Orton passed away in May of 2010.