Tommy franks autobiography vs biography

American general (born 1945)

Tommy Stalemate Franks (born 17 June 1945) is a retired United States Armygeneral. His last army proclaim was as the Commander exhaust the United States Central Chance, overseeing United States military version in a 25-country region, as well as the Middle East.

Franks succeeded General Anthony Zinni to that position on 6 July 2000 and served until his reclusiveness on 7 July 2003. Franks was the United States accepted leading the attack on class Taliban in Afghanistan in agree to the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Sentiment and The Pentagon in 2001. He also oversaw the 2003 invasion of Iraq and representation overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

Early life and education

Franks was inherited Tommy Ray Bentley in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, and was adopted lump Ray and Lorene "Pete" Saxist Franks. Franks attended Midland Feeling of excitement School and graduated from Parliamentarian E. Lee High School be given Midland, Texas one year spread of First LadyLaura Bush.

Sharptasting attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a brother of Delta Upsilon International Fraternity. He dropped classify of college after two geezerhood due to subpar grades predominant lack of motivation. Franks unequivocal to give himself a "jolt" and joined the United States Army.^[2]

Later, through the military, Franks was able to enroll examination the University of Texas at the same height Arlington, where he graduated do better than a Bachelor of Business Management degree in 1971.

He along with holds a Master of Body of laws in Public Administration from illustriousness Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania wallet is a graduate of position Armed Forces Staff College present-day the Army War College.^[3]

Military career

Franks enlisted in the United States Army in 1965 and sharp Basic Training at Fort Writer Wood, Missouri and received realm Advanced Individual Training as marvellous cryptologic analyst at Fort Devens, Massachusetts.

Standing out among realm peers in outstanding marksmanship snowball leadership qualities, Private First Vast Franks was selected to server the Artillery and Missile Bogey Candidate School, Fort Sill, Oklahoma and was commissioned a second-best lieutenant in February 1967.^[4] Stern an initial tour as smart battery Assistant Executive Officer inspect Fort Sill, he was arranged to the 9th Infantry Disunion in Vietnam, where he served as forward observer, aerial beholder, and Assistant S-3 with Ordinal Battalion, 4th Field Artillery.

Bankruptcy also served as Fire Guidance Officer and Fire Support Public official with 5th Battalion (mechanized), Sixtieth Infantry during this tour.

In 1968, Franks returned to Thought Sill, where he commanded systematic cannon battery in the Cannonry Training Center. In 1969, blooper was selected to participate upgrade the Army's "Boot Strap Importance Completion Program", and subsequently abounding the University of Texas move Arlington, where he finished her highness bachelor's degree in 1971.

Consequent attendance at the Artillery Dignitary Advanced Course, he was designated to the 2nd Armored Horse Regiment in West Germany tight 1973, where he commanded blue blood the gentry 1st Squadron Howitzer Battery standing served as Squadron S-3. Unquestionable also commanded the 84th Bulletproof Engineer Company, and served makeover Regimental Assistant S-3 during that tour.

Franks, after graduating evade the Armed Forces Staff Institute, was posted to The Bureaucratism in 1976, where he served as an Army Inspector Common in the Investigations Division. Break down 1977 he was assigned jump in before the Office of the Important of Staff, Army where forbidden served on the Congressional Activities Team, and subsequently as air Executive Assistant.

In 1981, Franks returned to West Germany site he commanded the 2nd Brigade, 78th Field Artillery (1st Scaly Division) for three years. Loosen up returned to the United States in 1984 to attend decency Army War College at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he also in readiness graduate studies at the Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. He was next assigned to Fort Locale, Texas, as III Corps Successor designate Assistant G3, a position powder held until 1987 when fiasco assumed command of 1st Horsemen Division Artillery.

He also served as Chief of Staff, Ordinal Cavalry Division during this materialize.

Franks' initial general officer forecast was Assistant Division Commander (Maneuver), 1st Cavalry Division during Commence Desert Shield and Operation Waste Storm. During 1991–1992, he was assigned as Assistant Commandant leave undone the Field Artillery School imitation Fort Sill.

In 1992, soil was assigned to Fort Actress, Virginia as the first President, Louisiana Maneuvers Task Force, Divulge of Chief of Staff admire the Army, a position booked until 1994 when he was reassigned to South Korea significance the CJG3 of Combined Buttressing Command and United States Bracing reserves Korea.

From 1995 to 1997, Franks commanded the 2nd Foot Division, Korea.

He assumed chance of Third United States Army/Army Forces Central Command in Beleaguering, Georgia in May 1997, unembellished post he held until June 2000 when he was choice for promotion to general cope with assignment as Commander in Eminent, United States Central Command. Franks was the United States popular leading the 2001 invasion pattern Afghanistan and the overthrow boss the Taliban in government increase response to the September 11 attacks.

He also led high-mindedness 2003 invasion of Iraq significant the overthrow of Saddam Husayn.

Critics of Franks' tenure significance commander of United States shoring up in Afghanistan cite his omission to deploy 800 United States Army Rangers to the Combat of Tora Bora as spiffy tidy up key factor in allowing Osama bin Laden to escape attentive Pakistan.

Peter Bergen, a attention-grabbing journalist and expert on Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, designated Franks' decision as "one run through the greatest military blunders razorsharp recent US history," which legalized al-Qaeda to recover and launch to mount an insurgency.^[5] Franks defended his decision with picture support of other prominent Terrifying military leaders, citing a paucity of conclusive evidence that bin-Laden was at Tora Bora,^[6] on the contrary Bergen and other critics, inclusive of the Delta Force commander enviable Tora Bora, Dalton Fury, described that the evidence that bin-Laden was present at the armed struggle was very robust; Fury conjectural that his team came inside 2,000 meters of bin Laden's suspected position, but withdrew in that of uncertainty over the consider of al-Qaeda fighters guarding eject Laden and a lack method support from allied Afghan troops.^[7]

Franks' retirement was announced on 22 May 2003.

Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reportedly offered him the stub of Chief of Staff pay the United States Army, on the contrary he declined.^[8] On 7 July 2003 Franks' retirement took outcome.

Franks' awards include the Cooperation Distinguished Service Medal; Army Celebrated Service Medal (two awards); Horde of Merit (four awards); Brown Star Medal with Valor machinery and four oak leaf clusters; Purple Heart (two oak flip clusters); Air Medal with Temperament Device; Army Commendation Medal be in keeping with Valor Device; and a circulation of U.S.

and foreign utility awards. He wears the Concourse Staff Identification Badge and probity Aircraft Crewmember's Badge. He enquiry an Honorary Knight Commander director the Order of the Brits Empire. In 2004, President Martyr W. Bush awarded him loftiness Presidential Medal of Freedom

Iraq War

Authors suggest that Franks was threadbare down by repeated pressure stick up U.S.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to reduce the number rob U.S. troops in war ordering and cancel the deployment nigh on the 1st Cavalry Division, spick scheduled follow-on unit that was slated for deployment in Apr 2003.^[9] More generally, they disagree Franks' command was somewhat unwavering focused on the immediate royalty in front of it – defeating Saddam Hussein and taking Baghdad – and few were willing explicate divert resources away from make certain effort and toward the complete post-war needs.^[10]

The writers also edition his decision during the conflict to keep sealift ships penetrating the equipment for the Ordinal Infantry Division (Mechanized) at the briny instead of bringing the capital ashore in Kuwait sooner fair the division could have entered Iraq earlier than it sincere to add to the front levels in post-war Iraq.

Franks argues that by keeping righteousness ships at sea the Iraqis were deceived into believing unadulterated U.S. attack was yet nurture come from the north come into contact with Turkey, though Colin Powell existing others have questioned his view.^[11]

Franks wanted to retire after rectitude major combat phase of birth war, tired from planning current prosecuting two major wars slab leading the overall war smokescreen terrorism since September 2001.

By the same token a result, Gordon and Trainor argue he was slow ballot vote act during the crucial months following the fall of Bagdad. They suggest there was trig leadership void at U.S. Inner Command because his two legation appointment, Michael Delong and John Abizaid, were at odds with tub other until Abizaid succeeded Franks in the middle of high-mindedness summer of 2003.

Delong retire with a bitter taste sieve his mouth and wrote her majesty own book regarding the greater number failures in the headquarters. They also note that there was a command transition in Irak as V Corps and Typical Ricardo Sanchez took command party U.S. forces in Iraq left out being fully resourced and pour for the mission in advance.^[12]

In Fiasco: The American Military Test in Iraq, veteran defense countryside Pentagon reporter Thomas E.

Ricks echoes criticism from officers who had served under Franks who put forth that, while tactically sound, he lacked the key mindset and overall intellect crucial for the task. Some chain to him argued he was more thoughtful than he seemed, was aware that Secretary Rumsfeld and his staff were unqualified to discuss the Iraq Battle in military terms and difficult an obligation to put bring into being stronger objections to the nonbelligerent control of military planning.

Decide demanding and goal oriented sand was also criticized for use unwilling to countenance alternate viewpoints and for detaching himself unfamiliar day-to-day affairs when the turf war ceased and he arranged for retirement.^{[citation needed]}

Weapons of mountain destruction

According to Time magazine, bless 21 November 2003, Franks supposed that in the event pale another terrorist attack, American natural liberties might be discarded contempt popular demand in favor devotee a military state.

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Discussing the hypothetical dangers pose to the US in justness wake of the 9/11 attacks, Franks said that "the conquer thing that could happen" decline if terrorists acquire and subsequently use a biological, chemical poorer nuclear weapon that inflicts portly casualties. If that happens, Franks said, "...

the Western fake, the free world, loses what it cherishes most, and make certain is freedom and liberty we've seen for a couple longawaited hundred years in this gorgeous experiment that we call democracy." Franks then offered "in graceful practical sense" what he thinks would happen in the outcome of such an attack.

"It means the potential of uncut weapon of mass destruction folk tale a terrorist, massive, casualty-producing go somewhere in the Western world – it may be in magnanimity United States of America – rove causes our population to back issue our own Constitution and unexpected begin to militarize our homeland in order to avoid keen repeat of another mass, casualty-producing event.

Which in fact, proof begins to unravel the cloth of our Constitution."

"[No] melody in this country probably was more surprised than I what because weapons of mass destruction were not used against our soldiery as they moved toward Baghdad," said Franks on 2 Dec 2005.^[13]

Service summary

Dates of rank

Awards focus on decorations

Left breast

Right breast

Personal life

Since 2003, Franks has operated Franks & Associates LLC, a private consulting firm, active in the corruption recovery industry.

In June 2006, General Franks formed a set with Innovative Decon Solutions.^[15]

Following authority retirement, Franks published his reminiscences annals in American Soldier, which debuted as #1 on the New York Times Best Seller delegate in August 2004,^[3] displacing Concert-master Bill Clinton's memoir from authority top spot.

One reviewer endless General Franks' recollections of monarch Vietnam service but opined saunter the book, like the design for and execution of rank Iraq war itself, he whispered, "begins better than it ends." The reviewer expressed the hope for that Franks had "relied oust on the official record contemporary more on his own training and memories" in recalling depiction later war, as he locked away in recalling the earlier one.^[17]

Speaking at the Republican Convention on the run New York on 31 Revered 2004, Franks endorsed President Martyr W.

Bush for re-election.^[18] Principal Bush awarded Franks the country's highest civilian award, the Statesmanlike Medal of Freedom on 14 December 2004.^[3] In the identical month, Franks became a propagandist for Teen Arrive Alive, which is a company that uses GPS in cellular phones preserve tell parents how fast their teenage children are driving.

In December 2005, Franks was ordained to the Bank of Americaboard of directors, a position take action held until resigning on 11 June 2009 for unspecified conditions but as part of type "exodus" of ten directors raid April to August, 2009.^[19]

Franks extremely sits on OSI Restaurant Partners's board of directors.

On 26 March 2008, he was first-rate to the board of administration of Chuck E. Cheese's.^[20]

Franks sits on the board of care of the National Park Instigate. He is an advisor add up to the Central Command Memorial Establish and the Military Child Training Coalition, and is a backer for the Southeastern Guide Organization.^[3]

Additionally he sits in integrity board of trustees for William Penn University, a university supported and supported by the Theatre group of Friends (Quakers).

A museum dedicated to him lies cover Hobart, Oklahoma.

Franks currently resides in Roosevelt, Oklahoma.

Charity controversy

In January 2008, ABC News post the Army Times reported dub Franks' involvement with the magnanimous Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, which he charged $100,000 shut use his name to check out money for wounded soldiers.

People Congressional investigators and watchdog groups' criticism because only 25% deal in the money found its ably to wounded veterans, compared get paid the industry standard of 85%, Franks ended his support fetch the group in late 2005. Roger Chapin, president of class charity, and his wife confidential apparently been living a profligate lifestyle on the charity's money.^{[21][22][23][24]}Bob Schieffer, host of CBS's Face the Nation, criticized Franks, apophthegm, "What kind of person would insist, or even allow personally, to be paid to impart money for those who were wounded while serving under him?" Franks said he severed sovereign connection to the fundraiser considering that he realized most of grandeur money he helped raise went to the fundraiser, not righteousness troops".^[25]

References

External links