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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.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Military career 2.1 Iraq troop levels and conduct of the Iraq War 3 Statements on nuclear attack against the United States 4 On the United States' not finding WMD in Iraq 5 Corporate career 6 Sources 7 External links

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The references in this article would be clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking.

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.

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.

Franks currently resides in Roosevelt, Oklahoma.

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."

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

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]

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.

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.

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.

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.

• Gen. Tom Franks: A silent partner in Operation Enduring Freedom - CNN, October 24, 2001
• General Tommy Franks - UK Guardian, November 9, 2001
• Official publisher web page for American Soldier
• - the truth seeker, 07/03/2003
• Franks & Associates LLC — About General Franks

Preceded by Anthony Zinni

Commander-in-Chief of United States Central Command 2000 – 2003

Succeeded by John Abizaid