His great-great-grandfather was Fisher Ames (1758-1808), a Massachusetts politician who served in the United States House of Representatives.

[7] While he was in command, Sandpiper operated in the waters of the Territory of Alaska and took part in the Aleutian Islands survey expedition of 1935.

[8] Leaving Sandpiper in 1935, he was assigned to Scouting Squadron 4 (VS-4) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Langley (CV-1).

In 1944, he received a temporary assignment to Air Force, United States Pacific Fleet, embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS Essex (CV-9).

Immediately after the war, Robbins oversaw Lexington's efforts to air-drop supplies to Allied prisoners-of-war in Japan in advance of their liberation by occupying American forces.

Lexington was the first Essex-class aircraft carrier to enter Tokyo Bay after the war, and she was anchored there on 16 November 1945 when Robbins was promoted to rear admiral and left the ship for assignments in Washington, D.C.[13][14][15] He received the Legion of Merit with Combat Distinguishing Device (Combat "V") for his tour aboard Lexington.

[18] In February 1947, Robbins read of a United States Army Air Forces plan to fly the P-82 Twin Mustang fighter Betty Jo nonstop from Honolulu, Hawaii, to New York City.

During his presidency, Robbins instituted a new course for senior officers of foreign navies that McCormick had established before his death.

[28][29] Upon conclusion of his tour in the Potomac River Naval Command, Robbins retired from the Navy as a rear admiral in 1962.