Mike Franken | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency | |
| In office January 15, 2015 – September 5, 2017 | |
| President | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Kelly McKeague |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael Thane Franken (1957-11-08)November 8, 1957 (age 68) Sioux Center, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Nebraska–Lincoln (BS) Naval Postgraduate School (MS) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1978–2017 |
| Rank |  Vice Admiral |
| Commands | Task Group 152.0 Destroyer Squadron 28 USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) |
| Battles/wars | Gulf War |
| Awards | |
Michael Thane Franken (born November 8, 1957) is an American retired United States Navyvice admiral.[1] His final posting was as deputy director of military operations for theUnited States Africa Command. Franken was a Democratic candidate in the2020 United States Senate election in Iowa, but lost the June 2 primary toTheresa Greenfield. Franken was theDemocratic nominee for the2022 United States Senate election in Iowa, which he lost toRepublican incumbentChuck Grassley.
Franken was born inSioux Center, Iowa. He attendedMorningside College and the Naval Science Institute before graduating on anROTC scholarship from theCollege of Engineering at theUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln and entering theUnited States Navy in 1981.[2] He is a graduate of theNaval Postgraduate School's college of physics,MIT Seminar XXI, theUniversity of Virginia school of executive education, theBrookings Institution's legislative affairs curriculum, andBabson College's business leadership program. His early operational assignments were inguided missile destroyers.[2]
Franken was the first commanding officer ofUSS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81). He previously served on theUSS King (DDG-41),USS Dahlgren (DDG-43) andUSS Barry (DDG-52). As commodore, he commandedDestroyer Squadron 28 and Task Group 152.0 for theEisenhower Strike Group.[1] Franken also served as theUnited States Africa Command's deputy for military operations, the United States Central Command's flag officer responsible for plans and strategy for three years, the chief of staff at U.S. Third Fleet, and as executive assistant to Commander, Fleet Forces Command.[3]
From 2011 to 2012, Franken commanded theCombined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) in Djibouti, Africa, responsible for the U.S. military activity throughout East Africa and in the islands of the Indian Ocean.
In Washington, D.C., he served a fellowship in congressional affairs for theOffice of the Secretary of the Navy; as the political-military chair in theChief of Naval Operations' Executive Panel, in Navy's Plans and Strategy Deep Blue staff; in the Assessments Division in support of Navy's representation in theJoint Requirements Oversight Council and in theJoint Staff's Joint Operations Division overseeingU.S. Pacific Command operations. He presented the worldwide orders book to SecretaryDonald Rumsfeld from 2003 to 2005 and was the first military officer to serve as a legislative fellow for SenatorTed Kennedy.[1]
Starting in January 2015, Franken was the first director of theDefense POW/MIA Accounting Agency when it was created through the merger of theJoint POW/MIA Accounting Command, theDefense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office, and parts of the Air Force's Life Sciences Lab.[4] The Defense POW/MIA Accounting agency is an 800-person defense agency which oversees the location and retrieval of the remains of American veterans of foreign wars.[2]
On August 26, 2019, Franken announced that he would be running for the Democratic Party nomination forUnited States Senate inIowa for the seat held byJoni Ernst, a member of theRepublican Party.[5][6]
Franken was one of a number of Democrats who competed in the primary election held on June 2. The winner,Theresa Greenfield,[7] lost to incumbent Ernst in the November 3 general election.
On October 14, 2021, Franken confirmed that he would be seeking the Democratic Party nomination forUnited States Senate inIowa for the seat held byChuck Grassley, a member of theRepublican Party.[8] He defeated formerU.S. RepresentativeAbby Finkenauer in the primary election in a majorupset.[9][10] Grassley defeated him 56%-44% in the general election.
Franken was born the youngest of nine children in ruralSioux County, Iowa. His father was a machinist and blacksmith, while his mother was a school teacher. Franken joined the U.S. Navy at the age of 22 at the urging of an older brother.[11]
In 1989, he married his wife Jordan. Together, they have two children.[12] Franken lives inAlexandria, Virginia.[13]
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromVICE ADMIRAL MICHAEL T. FRANKEN.United States Navy.
| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromIowa (Class 3) 2022 | Most recent |