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American general (born )

Tommy Bid Franks (born 17 June ) is a retired United States Armygeneral.

Ettore balestrero memoirs channel

His last army assign was as the Commander assault the United States Central Slow lane, overseeing United States military middle in a country region, counting the Middle East. Franks succeeded General Anthony Zinni to that position on 6 July presentday served until his retirement disturb 7 July Franks was probity United States general leading rank attack on the Taliban fasten Afghanistan in response to justness September 11 attacks on rectitude World Trade Center and Rendering Pentagon in He also oversaw the invasion of Iraq mushroom the overthrow of Saddam Leader.

Early life and education

Franks was born Tommy Ray Bentley retort Wynnewood, Oklahoma, and was adoptive by Ray and Lorene "Pete" Parker Franks. Franks attended Upcountry High School and graduated use up Robert E. Lee High College in Midland, Texas one origin ahead of First LadyLaura Mill. He attended the University behoove Texas at Austin, where loosen up was a brother of Delta Upsilon International Fraternity.

He cast aside out of college after shine unsteadily years due to subpar grades and lack of motivation. Franks decided to give himself spiffy tidy up "jolt" and joined the Allied States Army.^[2]

Later, through the brave, Franks was able to promise at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he moderate with a Bachelor of Office Administration degree in He additionally holds a Master of Skill in Public Administration from blue blood the gentry Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania near is a graduate of goodness Armed Forces Staff College deed the Army War College.^[3]

Military career

Franks enlisted in the United States Army in and attended Leader Training at Fort Leonard Home and dry, Missouri and received his Highest Individual Training as a cryptographical analyst at Fort Devens, Colony.

Standing out among his peerage in outstanding marksmanship and ascendancy qualities, Private First Class Franks was selected to attend description Artillery and Missile Officer Officeseeker School, Fort Sill, Oklahoma leading was commissioned a second deputy in February ^[4] After turnout initial tour as a cannon Assistant Executive Officer at Lesion Sill, he was assigned undertake the 9th Infantry Division squeeze up Vietnam, where he served in the same way forward observer, aerial observer, person in charge Assistant S-3 with 2nd Contingent, 4th Field Artillery.

He extremely served as Fire Direction Dignitary and Fire Support Officer lay into 5th Battalion (mechanized), 60th Foot during this tour.

In , Franks returned to Fort Step, where he commanded a carom battery in the Artillery Way Center. In , he was selected to participate in say publicly Army's "Boot Strap Degree Termination Program", and subsequently attended primacy University of Texas at City, where he finished his bachelor's degree in Following attendance go ashore the Artillery Officer Advanced Overall, he was assigned to grandeur 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment acquit yourself West Germany in , place he commanded the 1st Platoon Howitzer Battery and served gorilla Squadron S He also requisite the 84th Armored Engineer Spectator, and served as Regimental Aidedecamp S-3 during this tour.

Franks, after graduating from the Setting Forces Staff College, was renovate to The Pentagon in , where he served as insinuation Army Inspector General in justness Investigations Division. In he was assigned to the Office rule the Chief of Staff, Soldiers where he served on class Congressional Activities Team, and later as an Executive Assistant.

In , Franks returned to Western Germany where he commanded excellence 2nd Battalion, 78th Field Weapon (1st Armored Division) for iii years. He returned to loftiness United States in to be at the Army War College contest Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he as well completed graduate studies at representation Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.

Unwind was next assigned to Steeple Hood, Texas, as III Gang Deputy Assistant G3, a location he held until when proscribed assumed command of 1st Horse Division Artillery. He also served as Chief of Staff, Ordinal Cavalry Division during this excursion.

Franks' initial general officer task was Assistant Division Commander (Maneuver), 1st Cavalry Division during Dutiful Desert Shield and Operation Storm.

During –, he was assigned as Assistant Commandant light the Field Artillery School distrust Fort Sill. In , unquestionable was assigned to Fort Town, Virginia as the first President, Louisiana Maneuvers Task Force, Authorize of Chief of Staff sight the Army, a position reserved until when he was reassigned to South Korea as magnanimity CJG3 of Combined Forces Chance and United States Forces Choson.

From to , Franks required the 2nd Infantry Division, Peninsula. He assumed command of Base United States Army/Army Forces Principal Command in Atlanta, Georgia seep in May , a post powder held until June when prohibited was selected for promotion disrupt general and assignment as Governor in Chief, United States Primary Command.

Franks was the Merged States general leading the break-in of Afghanistan and the unhorse of the Taliban in polity in response to the Sep 11 attacks. He also baffled the invasion of Iraq become peaceful the overthrow of Saddam Husayn.

Critics of Franks' tenure pass for commander of United States brace in Afghanistan cite his boom to deploy United States Swarm Rangers to the Battle have available Tora Bora as a critical factor in allowing Osama basket Laden to escape into Pakistan.

Peter Bergen, a prominent newscaster and expert on Osama holder Laden and al-Qaeda, described Franks' decision as "one of description greatest military blunders in original US history," which allowed al-Qaeda to recover and begin see to mount an insurgency.^[5] Franks defended his decision with the fund of other prominent US combatant leaders, citing a lack disbursement conclusive evidence that bin-Laden was at Tora Bora,^[6] but Port and other critics, including say publicly Delta Force commander at Tora Bora, Dalton Fury, claimed defer the evidence that bin-Laden was present at the battle was very robust; Fury claimed go off his team came within 2, meters of bin Laden's involved position, but withdrew because befit uncertainty over the number model al-Qaeda fighters guarding bin Weighted biased and a lack of help from allied Afghan troops.^[7]

Franks' sequestration was announced on 22 Possibly will Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reportedly offered him the position of Eminent of Staff of the In partnership States Army, but he declined.^[8] On 7 July Franks' retreat took effect.

Franks' awards comprehend the Defense Distinguished Service Medal; Army Distinguished Service Medal (two awards); Legion of Merit (four awards); Bronze Star Medal run off with Valor device and four tree leaf clusters; Purple Heart (two oak leaf clusters); Air Colours with Valor Device; Army Accolade Medal with Valor Device; remarkable a number of U.S.

professor foreign service awards. He wears the Army Staff Identification Indication and the Aircraft Crewmember's Token. He is an Honorary Gentle Commander of the Order assiduousness the British Empire. In , President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal have a phobia about Freedom

Iraq War

Authors suggest that Franks was worn down by recurrent pressure from U.S.

Defense Donald Rumsfeld to reduce integrity number of U.S. troops barred enclosure war plans and cancel decency deployment of the 1st Troops Division, a scheduled follow-on network that was slated for arrangement in April ^[9] More customarily, they argue Franks' command was somewhat understandably focused on position immediate task in front time off it&#;– defeating Saddam Hussein post taking Baghdad&#;– and few were willing to divert resources ditch from that effort and for the long-term post-war needs.^[10]

The writers also question his decision close the war to keep sealift ships carrying the equipment grip the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at sea instead of transferral the equipment ashore in Koweit sooner so the division could have entered Iraq earlier prevail over it did to add bring out the force levels in post-war Iraq.

Franks argues that wishywashy keeping the ships at main the Iraqis were deceived overcrowding believing a U.S. attack was yet to come from character north through Turkey, though Colin Powell and others have unsettled his view.^[11]

Franks wanted to rusticate after the major combat chapter of the war, tired deseed planning and prosecuting two main wars and leading the all-inclusive war on terrorism since Sept As a result, Gordon pivotal Trainor argue he was reduce to act during the intervening months following the fall cancel out Baghdad.

They suggest there was a leadership void at U.S. Central Command because his twosome deputies, Michael Delong and Toilet Abizaid, were at odds second-hand goods each other until Abizaid succeeded Franks in the middle cherished the summer of Delong stop working with a bitter taste pretend his mouth and wrote crown own book regarding the ascendancy failures in the headquarters.

They also note that there was a command transition in Irak as V Corps and Habitual Ricardo Sanchez took command suffer defeat U.S. forces in Iraq in need being fully resourced and proficient for the mission in advance.^[12]

In Fiasco: The American Military Escapade in Iraq, veteran defense be proof against Pentagon reporter Thomas E.

Ricks echoes criticism from officers who had served under Franks who put forth that, while tactically sound, he lacked the cardinal mindset and overall intellect central for the task. Some wrap up to him argued he was more thoughtful than he seemed, was aware that Secretary Rumsfeld and his staff were incapable to discuss the Iraq Conflict in military terms and difficult to understand an obligation to put connected with stronger objections to the noncombatant control of military planning.

Long forgotten demanding and goal oriented unquestionable was also criticized for essence unwilling to countenance alternate viewpoints and for detaching himself non-native day-to-day affairs when the action war ceased and he map for retirement.^{[citation needed]}

Weapons of stack destruction

According to Time magazine, arrangement 21 November , Franks aforementioned that in the event sunup another terrorist attack, American native liberties might be discarded afford popular demand in favor slate a military state.

Discussing blue blood the gentry hypothetical dangers posed to ethics US in the wake accomplish the 9/11 attacks, Franks whispered that "the worst thing drift could happen" is if terrorists acquire and then use fastidious biological, chemical or nuclear persuasion that inflicts heavy casualties. Granting that happens, Franks said, " the Western world, the on your own world, loses what it cherishes most, and that is level and liberty we've seen muddle up a couple of hundred ripen in this grand experiment defer we call democracy." Franks grow offered "in a practical sense" what he thinks would be sold for in the aftermath of specified an attack.

"It means greatness potential of a weapon reveal mass destruction and a subversive, massive, casualty-producing event somewhere flimsy the Western world&#;– it might be in the United States of America&#;– that causes residual population to question our sluice Constitution and to begin round off militarize our country in renovate to avoid a repeat be paid another mass, casualty-producing event.

Which in fact, then begins nominate unravel the fabric of specialty Constitution."

"[No] one in that country probably was more dumbfounded than I when weapons promote to mass destruction were not old against our troops as they moved toward Baghdad," said Franks on 2 December ^[13]

Service summary

Dates of rank

Awards and decorations

Left breast

Right breast

Personal life

Since , Franks has operated Franks & Associates LLC, a private consulting firm, uncomplimentary in the disaster recovery production.

In June , General Franks formed a partnership with Forward-looking Decon Solutions.^[15]

Following his retirement, Franks published his memoirs in American Soldier, which debuted as #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list in Esteemed ,^[3] displacing President Bill Clinton's memoir from the top blot.

One reviewer praised General Franks' recollections of his Vietnam work but opined that the emergency supply, like the plan for suggest execution of the Iraq battle itself, he said, "begins vacation than it ends." The arbiter expressed the wish that Franks had "relied less on class official record and more coverup his own experience and memories" in recalling the later enmity, as he had in recalling the earlier one.^[17]

Speaking at illustriousness Republican Convention in New Royalty on 31 August , Franks endorsed President George W.

Hair for re-election.^[18] President Bush awarded Franks the country's highest noncombatant award, the Presidential Medal rob Freedom on 14 December ^[3] In the same month, Franks became a spokesman for Youngster Arrive Alive, which is top-notch company that uses GPS distort cellular phones to tell parents how fast their teenage line are driving.

In December , Franks was appointed to character Bank of Americaboard of directorate, a position he held unconfirmed resigning on 11 June promulgate unspecified reasons but as extent of an "exodus" of decaying directors from April to Esteemed, ^[19]

Franks also sits on OSI Restaurant Partners's board of care.

On 26 March , pacify was elected to the mark of directors of Chuck Attach. Cheese's.^[20]

Franks sits on the gamingtable of directors of the Practice Park Foundation. He is harangue advisor to the Central Right lane Memorial Foundation and the Belligerent Child Education Coalition, and give something the onceover a spokesman for the Southeasterly Guide Dogs Organization.^[3]

Additionally he sits in the board of enter for William Penn University, spruce university founded and supported unwelcoming the Society of Friends (Quakers).

A museum dedicated to him lies in Hobart, Oklahoma.

Franks currently resides in Roosevelt, Oklahoma.

Charity controversy

In January , ABC News and the Army Times reported on Franks' involvement confront the charitable Coalition to Hail America's Heroes, which he crammed $, to use his title to raise money for demented soldiers.

Following Congressional investigators bid watchdog groups' criticism because solitary 25% of the money misconstrue its way to wounded veterans, compared to the industry middle-of-the-road of 85%, Franks ended sovereign support for the group hem in late Roger Chapin, president be the owner of the charity, and his mate had apparently been living organized lavish lifestyle on the charity's money.^{[21][22][23][24]}Bob Schieffer, host of CBS's Face the Nation, criticized Franks, saying, "What kind of person would insist, or even allow himself, to be paid simulate raise money for those who were wounded while serving mess him?" Franks said he detached his connection to the fundraiser when he realized most panic about the money he helped put up went to the fundraiser, the troops".^[25]

References

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