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Lt. Col. Robert George Protosevich died suddenly of heart failure at his home in Alexandria, Virginia on December 3, 2024. He was 72 years old. A career officer in the U.S. Army, Robert proudly served his country for over 30 years.
He was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 14, 1952, to George and Elaine (Sebastian) Protosevich, both the children of immigrants, from Belarus and Lithuania (they later shortened their surname to Pro). Throughout their lifetime, Robert cherished the close relationship he had with his parents, especially enjoying time spent at their house at Lake Summerset, where the entire Protosevich family shared good food and lots of laughs. After receiving his BA from MacMurray College, Robert briefly worked as a journalist before enlisting in the Army. After basic training, he was sent to the prestigious Defense Language Institute, where he graduated at the top of his class in Russian Translation. In 1976, Robert served in Augsburg, Germany, translating intercepted Russian military radio broadcasts. After five years of service, Robert returned to Chicago, where he pursued a lifelong passion for art, and studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he immersed himself in the field of Scientific Illustration and did part-time work for the Field Museum.
Robert decided to return to the Army and underwent officer's training while obtaining his Master's Degree in Russian Language and Literature from the University of Chicago (he later achieved a second Master's in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College). Robert served as Chief of Operations, 111th Military Intelligence Brigade, at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, then went to Garmisch, Germany when he became a Senior Fellow at the George C. Marshall Center. He then served as Senior Liaison Officer to the Russian Independent Airborne Brigade in Bosnia-Herzegovina, shortly after the conflict there had ended. His time with the Russians was an unforgettable experience that made a lasting impression. Robert served as Associate Professor of Russian at the U.S. Air Force Academy before relocating to the Washington D.C. area where he worked for many years at the NSA and Pentagon. Perhaps Robert's proudest moment during this period was serving as Senior U.S. Presidential Translator. In this capacity, he was part of MOLINK, better known as the "hot line" or "red phone" between the White House and Kremlin. Late in his career, Robert was posted to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, conducted Intelligence training for the Lithuanian Armed Forces in Vilnius, and served as Deputy Advisor to the Chief of Staff to the Afghan National Army in Kabul. He retired from the Army in 2013.