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A 1955 graduate of Kamehameha Schools, Robert Kihune graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1959, with a Bachelor of Science degree in marine engineering, followed by a graduate degree in electrical engineering in 1965.
After 35 years of distinguished service, Kihune retired from the Navy in 1994 with the rank of Vice Admiral. His brilliant career included command of two aircraft carrier battle groups the USS Kitty Hawk and USS Nimitz as well as the USS New Jersey battleship group. During the Vietnam War, Kihune commanded a guided missile destroyer that conducted nightly strikes against North Vietnam while successfully dodging hundreds of rounds of enemy fire without sustaining damage. Kihune was awarded a Legion of Merit with a combat "V" for gallantry.
Among his significant military assignments are the support for the capture of the terrorists involved in the Achille Lauro hijacking and serving as Commander of the Naval Surface Forces of the Pacific Fleet. He also served as Assistant Chief of Naval Operations for Surface Warfare at the Pentagon, where he was responsible for procurement of ships and surface ship weapons systems with a budget of $22 billion. Additionally, he was Chief of Naval Education and Training responsible for all technical school house training in the U.S. Navy, including flight training and recruit training.
Kihune currently serves as an officer and member of several non-profit boards, including as Chair of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, where he has been involved in the refurbishment and development of the Battleship Missouri Memorial as a top visitor attraction in Hawaii. | 