After one year of enlisted service he was appointed to the United States Naval Academy, and graduated in 1967, receiving a commission as an Ensign.

[2] Shore assignments included Company Officer and later Flag Secretary to the Superintendent at the United States Naval Academy; Executive Assistant to the Director of Naval Warfare in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV); staff member for the House Armed Services Committee of the 100th Congress of the United States; Executive Assistant to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet; Executive Assistant to the Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, during Operation Desert Storm; Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel for officer and enlisted personnel assignments; Chief on the Navy's Legislative Affairs organization; Director for Space, Information Warfare, Command and Control (OPNAV N6); and the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Plans, Policy and Operations (OPNAV N3/N5).

Naval War College and has master's degrees in both Business Management and International Relations.

[4] He is also President of R.J. Natter & Associates, LLC, a consulting firm; serves on the McDonald's Corporation Advisory Board; and is a Non-Executive Director of Novonix Limited which develops, manufactures and sells the worlds most accurate high precision battery cell testing equipment and graphite materials for the lithium-ion battery (LIB) industry;[5][6] served as Chairman of the United States Naval Academy's Distinguished Graduate Selection Committee; and in May, 2012 became Chairman, Naval Academy Alumni Association's national Board of Trustees.

[8] This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Navy Media related to Robert J. Natter at Wikimedia Commons