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Encyclopedia > Tommy Franks
Tommy Ray Franks
born June 17, 1945 (1945-06-17) (age 62)

General Tommy Franks
USA, as CENTCOM Commander
Place of birth Wynnewood, Oklahoma
Allegiance USA
Years of service 1967-2003
Rank General
Commands 2nd Battalion, 78th Field Artillery
82nd Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Infantry Division
Third United States Army
United States Central Command
Battles/wars Vietnam War
Operation Desert Shield
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Awards Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Purple Heart
Air Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Army Staff Identification Badge
Aircraft Crewmember's Badge
Order of the British Empire
Presidential Medal of Freedom

Tommy Ray Franks (born June 17, 1945 in Wynnewood, Oklahoma) is a retired General in the United States Army, previously serving as the Commander of the United States Central Command, overseeing United States Armed Forces operations in a 25-country region, including the Middle East. Franks succeeded General Anthony Zinni to this position on July 6, 2000 and served until his retirement on July 7, 2003. He was the U.S. general leading the attack on the Taliban in Afghanistan in response to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon. Franks also led the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Wynnewood is a city located in Garvin County, Oklahoma. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lieutenant General, General, General of the Army, General of the Air Force, and General of the Armies of the United States are high ranks in the United States military. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... The 2nd Infantry Division (Heavy) is a formation of the United States Army. ... Distinctive Unit Insignia // The Third United States Army was first activated as a formation during the First World War on November 7, 1918, at Chaumont, France, when the General Headquarters of the American Expeditionary Forces issued General Order 198 organizing the Third Army and announcing its headquarters staff. ... The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... Combatants U.S.-led coalition Iraq Commanders George H. W. Bush, Norman Schwarzkopf, Colin Powell Saddam Hussein, Ali Hassan Al-Majid, Hussein Kamel Strength 660,000 ~545,000 Casualties 345 dead, 1,000 wounded 25,000 - 100,000 dead, 100,000 - 300,000 wounded The 1991 Gulf War (also Persian... Combatants United States, Poland, France, Canada, Pakistan, India, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines (in the Philippines theatre only), Northern Alliance, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ethiopia, Somalia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, Macedonia, Romania, Portugal, Bulgaria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Georgia Taliban, al-Qaeda, Abu Sayyaf, Jemaah... For other uses of the term, see Iraq war (disambiguation) The 2003 invasion of Iraq (also called the 2nd or 3rd Persian Gulf War) began on March 20, 2003, when forces belonging primarily to the United States and the United Kingdom invaded Iraq arguably without the explicit backing of the... The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a United States military award which is presented for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to national security or defense of the United States. ... The Distinguished Service Medal is a high level military and civilian decoration of the United States of America which is issued for meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United States armed forces. ... The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ... The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration and is the fourth highest award for bravery, heroism or meritorious service. ... For other meanings see Purple Heart (disambiguation). ... Air Medal Ribbon The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States which was established by Executive Order 9158, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, on May 11, 1942. ... The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military award which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. ... The Army Staff Identification Badge is a decoration of the United States Army and is awarded to those personnel who serve for one year as a member of the Army General Staff. ... An Aircrew Badge is a military decoration which is issued to personnel who serve as crewman opnboarde a military aircraft. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... The Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is one of the two highest civilian awards in the United States and is bestowed by the President of the United States (the other award which is considered its equivalent is the Congressional Gold Medal, which is bestowed by an... is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Wynnewood is a city located in Garvin County, Oklahoma. ... Lieutenant General, General, General of the Army, General of the Air Force, and General of the Armies of the United States are high ranks in the United States military. ... The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... Emblem of the United States Central Command. ... The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Anthony Charles Zinni (born September 17, 1943) is a retired general in the United States Marine Corps and a former Commander in Chief of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). ... is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants Taliban al-Qaeda IMU Hezbi Islami United States ISAF Afghanistan Northern Alliance Commanders Mohammed Omar Obaidullah Akhund # Mullah Dadullah  Jalaluddin Haqqani Osama bin Laden Ayman al-Zawahiri Mohammad Atef  Juma Namangani  Tohir Yo‘ldosh Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Bismillah Khan Mohammed Fahim Abdul Rashid Dostum Dan McNeill Guy Laroche Ton van... The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ... For other uses, see World Trade Center (disambiguation). ... This article is about the United States military building. ... This article is about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq and Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council from 1979 until his overthrow by US forces in 2003. ...

Contents

Early life

Born Tommy Ray Bentley in Oklahoma, and adopted by Ray and Lorene "Pete" Parker Franks, Tommy Franks graduated from Robert E. Lee High School, the same high school as First Lady Laura Bush in Midland, Texas. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and joined the Delta Upsilon Fraternity. He was placed on academic probation, and dropped out of college after only two years due to subpar grades. Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Largest metro area Oklahoma City metro area Area  Ranked 20th  - Total 69,898 sq mi (181,196 km²)  - Width 230 miles (370 km)  - Length 298 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ... Robert E. Lee High School is a public, co-educational secondary school in Midland, Texas. ... This article is about the use of the term first lady internationally. ... Laura Lane Welch Bush (born November 4, 1946) is the wife of the forty-third and current President of the United States George W. Bush and is thereby the First Lady of the United States. ... Nickname: Location within the state of Texas Country United States State Texas Counties Midland County Government  - Mayor Mike Canon Area  - City 173. ... The University of Texas System comprises fifteen educational institutions in Texas, of which nine are general academic universities, and six are health institutions. ... Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas, the seat of Travis County. ... Delta Upsilon (ΔΥ) is one of the oldest international, all-male, college, Greek-letter social fraternities and is the first non-secret fraternity ever founded. ...


Military career

Franks enlisted in the Army in 1965 and attended basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. After completing basic he received training as a cryptologic analyst at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. PFC Franks was later selected to attend The U.S. Army Artillery and Missile Officer Candidate School (USAAMOCS), Fort Sill, Oklahoma and was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1967. After an initial tour as a battery Assistant Executive Officer at Fort Sill, he was assigned to the US 9th Infantry Division, Republic of Vietnam, where he served as Forward Observer, Aerial Observer, and Assistant S-3 with 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery. He also served as Fire Support Officer with 5th Battalion (mechanized), 60th Infantry during this tour. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Fort Leonard Wood is a United States Army Basic Combat Training (BCT) post located in the Missouri Ozarks. ... Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St Louis[1] Area  Ranked 21st  - Total 69,709 sq mi (180,693 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 300 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ... Fort Devens is a census-designated place and part of the towns of Ayer, Harvard, and Shirley, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... PFC can be an acronym/initialism for Protein Fractionation Centre Peshawar Flying Club PRIDE Fighting Championships Parallel Flange Channel perfluorocarbon Private First Class Passenger Facility Charge, an FAA-regulated tax that some U.S. airports charge passengers to fund airport improvements (see also the FAAs overview). ... Officer Candidate School or Officer Cadet School (OCS) are institutions which train civilians and enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a commission as officers in the armed forces of a country. ... Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma; about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. ... Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Largest metro area Oklahoma City metro area Area  Ranked 20th  - Total 69,898 sq mi (181,196 km²)  - Width 230 miles (370 km)  - Length 298 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ... The 9th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War II. World War II Activated: 1 August 1940. ... A Forward Observer is responsible for directing artillery fire and aircraft onto enemy positions. ... Aerial Observer- Air Force Reconnaissance. ...


In 1968, Franks returned to Fort Sill, where he commanded a cannon battery in the Artillery Training Center. In 1969, he was selected to participate in the Army's "Boot Strap Degree Completion Program," and subsequently attended the University of Texas at Arlington, where he graduated with a degree in Business Administration in 1971. Following attendance at the Artillery Advance Course, he was assigned to the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment in West Germany in 1973 where he commanded 1st Squadron Howitzer Battery, and served as Squadron S-3. He also commanded the 84th Armored Engineer Company, and served as Regimental Assistant S-3 during this tour. The University of Texas at Arlington, usually referred to as UT Arlington or UTA, is a nationally recognized comprehensive doctoral/research university classified by Carnegie as Research University - High Activity [2]. The university is located in Arlington, Texas, USA. UT Arlington has a student population of nearly 25,000 and... Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a tertiary degree in business management. ...


Franks, after graduation from Armed Forces Staff College, was posted to The Pentagon in 1976 where he served as an Army Inspector General in the Investigations Division. In 1977 he was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Staff, Army where he served on the Congressional Activities Team, and subsequently as an Executive Assistant. The Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC) located in Norfolk, Virginia, was established as the Armed Forces Staff College in 1946 and incorporated into the National Defense University in August 1981. ... This article is about the United States military building. ... Inspector General is a fact finding officer whose responsibility is to investigate charges of corruption, fraud, waste and abuse and other complaints regarding government officials. ...


In 1981, Franks returned to West Germany where he commanded 2nd Battalion, 78th Field Artillery for three years. He returned to the United States in 1984 to attend the Army War College at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he also completed graduate studies and received a Master of Science Degree in Public Administration at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. He was next assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, as III Corps Deputy Assistant G3, a position he held until 1987 when he assumed command of Division Artillery, US 1st Cavalry Division. He also served as Chief of Staff, 1st Cavalry Division during this tour. The United States Army War College is a U. S. Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, specifically in the historic Carlisle Barracks. ... Coordinates: , Country State County Cumberland Founded 1751 Government  - Mayor Kirk R. Wilson Area  - Borough  5. ... Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, commonly known as Ship, Sburg, ShippyU, or SU, is a public university located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, 40 miles (64 km) west-southwest of Harrisburg. ... Fort Hood, named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, is a U.S. Army post located halfway between Austin and Waco within the U.S. state of Texas. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... For the III Corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War, see III Corps (ACW). ... Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army 1st Cavalry Division. ...


His initial general officer assignment was Assistant Division Commander (Maneuver), 1st Cavalry Division during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. During 1991-92, he was assigned as Assistant Commandant of the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill. In 1992, he was assigned to Fort Monroe, Virginia as the first Director, Louisiana Maneuvers Task Force, Office of Chief of Staff of the Army, a position held until 1994 when he was reassigned to South Korea as the CJG3 of Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea. See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... Combatants U.S.-led coalition Iraq Commanders George H. W. Bush, Norman Schwarzkopf, Colin Powell Saddam Hussein, Ali Hassan Al-Majid, Hussein Kamel Strength 660,000 ~545,000 Casualties 345 dead, 1,000 wounded 25,000 - 100,000 dead, 100,000 - 300,000 wounded The 1991 Gulf War (also Persian... Commandant is a military or police title or rank and can mean any of the following: The commander of certain military corps and services, such as the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Commandant of the Coast Guard in the United States or the Commandant of the (now obsolete... Fort Monroe, Virginia (also known as Fortress Monroe) is a military installation located at Old Point Comfort on the tip of the Virginia Peninsula at the mouth of Hampton Roads on the Chesapeake Bay in eastern Virginia in the United States. ...


From 1995-97, General Franks commanded the US 2nd Infantry Division, Korea. He assumed command of Third (U.S.) Army/Army Forces Central Command in Atlanta, Ga. in May 1997, a post he held until June 2000 when he was selected for promotion to general and assignment as Commander in Chief, United States Central Command. Patch of the United States Army 2nd Infantry Division. ...


General Franks' awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal; Distinguished Service Medal (two awards); Legion of Merit (four awards); Bronze Star Medal with Valor device and two oak leaf clusters; Purple Heart (two oak leaf clusters); Air Medal with Valor device; Army Commendation Medal with Valor device; and a number of U.S. and foreign service awards. He wears the Army Staff Identification Badge and the Aircraft Crewmember's Badge. He is a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In 2004, President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a United States military award which is presented for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to national security or defense of the United States. ... This article concerns Distinguished Service Medals which are issued by the United States of America. ... The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ... The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration and is the fourth highest award for bravery, heroism or meritorious service. ... The Valor device, also known as a combat distinguishing device, V-device, V device, and Combat V, is an award of the United States military which is authorized by the military services as an attachment to certain awards and decorations. ... Bronze and Silver oak leaf clusters An Oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on military awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. ... For other meanings see Purple Heart (disambiguation). ... Air Medal Ribbon The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States which was established by Executive Order 9158, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, on May 11, 1942. ... The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military award which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. ... The Army Staff Identification Badge is a decoration of the United States Army and is awarded to those personnel who serve for one year as a member of the Army General Staff. ... An Aircrew Badge is a military decoration which is issued to personnel who serve as crewman opnboarde a military aircraft. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the United States. ...


General Franks' retirement was announced on May 22, 2003. Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reportedly offered him the position of Army Chief of Staff, but he declined. is the 142nd day of the year (143rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is a U.S. Republican politician and businessman, who was the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford from 1975 to 1977, and the 21st Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006. ... The Flag of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army The Chief of Staff of the United States Army (CSA) is the professional head of the United States Army who is responsible for ensuring readiness of the Army. ...


Iraq troop levels and conduct of the Iraq War

In their book, COBRA II, military correspondent Michael R. Gordon and military historian and retired Marine Corps general Bernard Trainor argue that Franks failed to recognize the threat the Saddam Fedayeen irregular fighters posed to the invading ground forces in 2003 and their potential to form the core of a post-war insurgency. For instance, in their book, they make a disputed claim that Franks threatened to fire General William Wallace, commander of the Army's V Corps, for his comments to the press during that war where he said that the enemy the U.S. was facing was different from the enemy the military had planned against. Ben D. 00:39, 26 March 2006 (UTC) Category: ... Michael Gordon at Camp Doha, Kuwait, before the invasion of Iraq in 2003 Michael R. Gordon is the chief military correspondent for The New York Times [1]. Together with Judith Miller, he wrote most of that papers coverage of the Bush administrations case for war with Iraq in... Bernard E. Trainor is a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general who is military analyst for NBC. He worked for The New York Times as chief military correspondent from 1986 to 1990 and at Harvards John F. Kennedy School of Government as Director of the National Security Program from 1990...


Franks rejected the critical comments on the TV program "Hardball with Chris Matthews" on April 17, 2006. When asked to respond to the book's claims, he said, "Well, I don't know that I would hold myself to a standard to try to help the retired admiral, you know, sell his book". Franks pointed to a study published by U.S. Joint Forces Command. He says the study shows that there is no linkage between the Fedayeen and the insurgency present in Iraq today. He agrees with their assessment, which would discredit COBRA II's notion that his failure to take the Fedayeen seriously during the invasion of Iraq contributed to the post-war insurgency. Transcript


The authors also suggest that Franks was worn down by repeated pressure from U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to reduce the number of U.S. troops in war plans and cancel the deployment of the 1st Cavalry Division, a scheduled follow-on unit that was slated for deployment in April of 2003. (New York Times: Dash to Baghdad Left Top US Generals Divided 13 March 2006) More generally, they argue Franks' command was somewhat understandably focused on the immediate task in front of it -- defeating Saddam Hussein and taking Baghdad -- and few were willing to divert resources away from that effort and toward the long-term post-war needs.


The writers also question his decision during the war to keep sealift ships carrying the equipment for the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at sea instead of bringing the equipment ashore in Kuwait sooner so the division could have entered Iraq earlier than it did to add to the force levels in post-war Iraq. Frank argues that by keeping the ships at sea the Iraqis were deceived into believing a U.S. attack was yet to come from the north through Turkey, though Colin Powell and others have questioned his view (Plan of Attack, Bob Woodward, 2004).


Franks wanted to retire after the major combat phase of the war, tired from having planned for and prosecuted two major wars and led a war on terrorism since September of 2001. As a result, Gordon and Trainor argue he was slow to act during the crucial months following the fall of Baghdad. They suggest there was a leadership void at U.S. Central Command until General John Abizaid succeeded Franks in the middle of the summer of 2003. They also note that there was a command transition in Iraq as V Corps and General Ricardo Sanchez took command of U.S. forces in Iraq without being fully resourced and trained for the mission in advance. (COBRA II Gordon and Trainor 2006)


In Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq, veteran defense and Pentagon reporter Thomas E. Ricks echoes criticism from officers who had served under Franks who put forth that, while tactically sound, he lacked the strategic mindset necessary for the task. Some close to him argued he was more thoughtful than he seemed, was aware that Secretary Rumsfeld and his staff were unable to discuss the Iraq War in military terms and had an obligation to put forth stronger objections to the civilian control of military planning. While demanding and goal oriented he was also criticized for being unwilling to countenance alternate viewpoints and for detaching himself from day-to-day affairs when the ground war ceased and he prepared for retirement. Thomas E. Ricks is a Washington Post Pentagon and military correspondent and Pulitzer Prize-winner. ...


Franks currently resides in Roosevelt, Oklahoma. Roosevelt is a town in Kiowa County, Oklahoma. ...


Statements on nuclear attack against the United States

According to Time magazine, on November 21, 2003, Tommy Franks said that in the event of another terrorist attack, American Constitutional liberties might be discarded by popular demand in favor of a military state. Discussing the hypothetical dangers posed to the U.S. in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Franks said that “the worst thing that could happen” is if terrorists acquire and then use a biological, chemical or nuclear weapon that inflicts heavy casualties.


If that happens, Franks said, “... the Western world, the free world, loses what it cherishes most, and that is freedom and liberty we’ve seen for a couple of hundred years in this grand experiment that we call democracy.”


Franks then offered “in a practical sense” what he thinks would happen in the aftermath of such an attack.


“It means the potential of a weapon of mass destruction and a terrorist, massive, casualty-producing event somewhere in the Western world – it may be in the United States of America – that causes our population to question our own Constitution and to begin to militarize our country in order to avoid a repeat of another mass, casualty-producing event. Which in fact, then begins to unravel the fabric of our Constitution."


On the United States' not finding WMD in Iraq

"No one was more surprised than I that we didn't find (WMD's)," said Franks on December 2, 2005. [1]


Corporate career

Since 2003, General Franks has operated Franks & Associates LLC, a private consulting firm, active in the disaster recovery industry. In June 2006, General Franks formed a partnership with Innovative Decon Solutions, Disaster recovery.[1] Management consulting (sometimes also called strategy consulting) refers to both the practice of helping companies to improve performance through analysis of existing business problems and development of future plans, as well as to the firms that specialize in this sort of consulting. ... This article is about business continuity planning. ...


In December 2005, Franks was appointed to the Bank of America board of directors. He also sits on Outback Steakhouse International's board of directors. Bank of America (NYSE: BAC TYO: 8648 ) is the largest commercial bank in the United States in terms of deposits, and the largest company of its kind in the world. ... Chairman of the Board redirects here. ...


In December 2004, General Franks became a spokesman for Teen Arrive Alive, which is a company that uses GPS in cellular phones to tell parents how fast their teenage children are driving. Cellular redirects here. ...


Following his retirement, General Franks published his memoirs in a best-selling book (American Soldier by Tommy Franks, Malcolm McConnell, ReganBooks, 2004 ISBN 0-06-073158-3).


General Franks endorsed President George W. Bush for re-election on August 31, 2004, speaking at the Republican Convention in New York. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... is the 243rd day of the year (244th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...


Franks is actively being considered to replace former Oklahoma State University President David Schmidly who is now the President of the University of New Mexico. An interim President and CEO was appointed March 1 2007 until a new president assumes office. Oklahoma State University Logo The Oklahoma State University System comprises of five educational instututes across Oklahoma. ... David J. Schmidly was announced as president of the University of New Mexico on February 17, 2007 Before UNM, Schmidly was CEO of the OSU System and 17th president of the Oklahoma State University System beginning on November 25, 2002. ... The University of New Mexico (UNM) is a public university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ...


Sources

  1. ^ "www.idsint.com". Retrieved on 2007-09-27. 

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Tommy Franks
Preceded by
Anthony Zinni
Commander-in-Chief of United States Central Command
2000 – 2003
Succeeded by
John Abizaid

  Results from FactBites:
 
Tommy Franks - MSN Encarta (504 words)
Tommy Franks, born in 1945, retired United States Army four-star general who led the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan that ousted the Taliban regime and its al-Qaeda allies.
Tommy R. Franks was born in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, and raised in Midland, Texas.
Franks was regarded as a “soldier’s soldier.” During the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the media often criticized him for being unavailable for questions, but his defenders said he simply sought to avoid the limelight.
CNN.com - Gen. Tom Franks: A silent partner in Operation Enduring Freedom - October 24, 2001 (702 words)
Franks is the head of U.S. Central Command, which is one of nine U.S. combatant commands that respond directly to the defense secretary and the president.
Franks came into public view this week because he is on a weeklong tour of his command to meet with troops, commanders and leaders from the countries his command covers.
Franks is coordinating the Afghan operations from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, which is the headquarters of Central Command, or CENTCOM, as it is known.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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