After high school, he worked a summer in the Kansas harvest fields before enrolling in the University of Missouri, where he completed his B.S.

He was graduated from the Cavalry School Troop Commander's course at Fort Riley, Kansas in 1922, and taught Machine Gunnery and animal transportation there 1922–1923.

He was General Malin Craig's aide-de-camp 1927–1932, serving in the Panama Canal Zone and San Francisco.

Robinett, Cavalry, completed the United States Army Command and General Staff College's two-year course and graduated June 15, 1934.

After the American defeat at the battle of Kasserine Pass, his CCB and 1st Infantry Division repulsed a German advance west on Highway 13 toward Tebessa.

[10] General Robinett and CCB were to lead 1st Armored Division's assault from Mateur toward Bizerte at first light on Thursday morning, May 6, 1943.

[14] Brigadier General Robinett was a Missouri delegate at the 1948 Republican National Convention, and served on the resolution committee's foreign affairs subcommittee.

[15] After the Korean War, BGen Robinett complained that American military succumbed to a "natural tendency" to develop quickly capabilities to counter an enemy, rather than those to defeat and destroy him.