Lieutenant Colonel Rawlings is a native from Boulder, CO.
Lieutenant Colonel Hunter Ripley Rawlings IV joined the Marine Corps in 1996, reporting for Officers Candidate School (OCS) in January of 1997. He completed OCS, then the Basic School (TBS) and Infantry Officers Course (IOC) in December of 1997.
After graduating TBS and IOC, then 2nd Lieutenant Rawlings reported to his first command at 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) as a Scout Platoon Commander then a LAV Platoon Commander in Company A where he deployed aboard USS Boxer for WestPac (13th MEU, 1998). He then assumed duties as Executive Officer in Company D where he deployed aboard USS Anchorage (13th MEU, 1999). In June of 1999 he assumed duties as Assistant Operations Officer for 1st LAR Battalion. In 2001-2002, then Captain Rawlings became a military advisor in the OPM-SANG Saudi Arabian National Guard Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) modernization program, assigned to Prince Miteb's, 5th Mechanized Infantry Battalion, Prince Saud bin Abduhl-Rhaman Brigade, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In January of 2002, then Captain Rawlings reported to Marine Corps Security Force Battalion (MCSFBn) 2nd Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Force (FAST) Company as an Assistant Platoon Commander, deploying to Exercise Northern Edge, Valdez, AK. Captain Rawlings was transferred to MCSFBn, S-3 as a Cadre Officer, deploying to Djibouti, Africa (OEF) with Task Force Rawhide in August of 2003. He was then transferred to 1st FAST assuming duties as a Platoon Commander and deploying to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as a Windward and Leeward Security Force Platoon Commander. Then deploying to Puget Sound, Washington with the Navy Nuclear refuel/defuel (RF/DF) program aboard USS Henry M. Jackson SSBN.
In January of 2005, Captain Rawlings attended the Armor Captains Career Course (ACCC) in Fort Knox, Ky. Selected as one of the four Honor Graduates, he received the General George Marshall award. He was then nominated to the Cavalry Leaders Course, graduating in August of 2005.
In August of 2005, Captain Rawlings reported to 3d LAR Battalion as the Commander, Company D, the "Dragoons." He deployed to Iraq in March of 2006 to Operation Iraqi Freedom, Al Anbar Province: Al Quaim with TF Chromite, 1/7; 3d LAR Ar Rutbah; 5th Marines in Karmah, the Thar Thar, the Zaidon, Habbinayah and Eastern Ramadi. Promoted to Major he then deployed in August of 2006 as the Operations Officer and Interim Executive Officer to 3d LAR Bn in the cities of Rawah and Ar Rutbah, and the Western Desert in Iraq.
In July of 2008, Major Rawlings reported as the Future Operations and Plans Officer to the Counter-IED Operations/Intelligence Center (COIC), JIEDDO. Major Rawlings deployed as the COIC OIC to Afghanistan in May of 2009 in Bagram, Kandahar, Mazar E-Sharif and Helmand provinces.
In 2010 Major Rawlings completed Command and Staff (Blended Seminar) as a Distinguished graduate and in the 2011/2012 AY he was selected to attend the School of Advanced Warfighting, receiving a Masters Degree in Operational Planning. In 2012 he reported to Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) and in 2013 was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel serving as a Strategic and Operational Planner for the Pacific Theater and the Marine Corps Campaign Planner, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Lieutenant Colonel Rawlings holds degrees in English and German from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, and a Masters Degree in Operational Planning from Marine Corps University.
Lieutenant Colonel Rawlings Personal Awards include: the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with bronze palm in lieu of second award, the Army Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold star in lieu of second award and the Combat Action Ribbon.