GENERAL TOMMY R. FRANKS
UNITED STATES ARMY (Ret)
General Tommy R. Franks was the Commander in Chief, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. until August, 2003. General Franks was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1967 as a distinguished graduate of the Artillery Officer Candidate School, Fort Sill, Okla. After an initial tour as a battery Assistant Executive Officer at Fort Sill, he was assigned to the 9th Infantry Division, Republic of Vietnam, where he served as Forward Observer with Bandido Charlie Company, 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.
Vietnam Picture - 1967
In front of Bandido Charlie Company sign (click to see a larger picture)
Left to Right:
Bill Doherty - 3rd Platoon Leader,
Tommy Franks - Company Artillery FO,
Charlie Taylor - Company XO,
Peter "B" Becraft - 1st Platoon Leader,
Jesse Kimball - 2nd Platoon Leader
Above photograph courtesy of Bill Doherty
GENERAL JOHN ABIZAD
UNITED STATES ARMY
General Abizaid assumed duties as the Commander, U.S. Central Command on July 7, 2003. He commanded the 1st Infantry Division, the “Big Red One,” in Wurzburg which provided our first ground forces into Kosovo. He served as the Deputy Commander (Forward), Combined Forces Command, US Central Command during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.
