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Frank Helmick

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Frank Helmick
Born (1953-04-29) April 29, 1953 (age 71)
AllegianceUnited States United States of America
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service1976–2012
Rank Lieutenant General
CommandsXVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg
Multi-National Security Transition Command Iraq
Southern European Task Force
Battles / warsIraq War
AwardsDefense Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal

Frank Helmick is a retired United States Army lieutenant general.[1] He is the former commanding general of the XVIII Airborne Corps.[2] From February to December 2011, he additionally served as the deputy commanding general for operations, United States Forces – Iraq. Prior to assuming command of the XVIII Airborne Corps, LTG Helmick commanded the Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq along with the NATO Training Mission-Iraq from July 3, 2008 to October 7, 2009.

Helmick has held numerous command and senior staff positions. He has commanded and served in many units in both operational and training commands: Commander 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Commander Ranger Training Brigade, Fort Benning, Georgia; Assistant Division Commander 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Commander of the Southern European Task Force (Airborne), Vicenza, Italy.

His staff assignments include service in the 82nd Airborne Division, the Joint Staff, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense where he served as the Senior Military Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of Defense.

Career

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Iraq War

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Helmick was the commander who led the attack in Mosul that killed Uday and Qusay Hussein, Saddam Hussein's sons.[3]

U.S. Army soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) watch as a TOW missile strikes the side of a building that was suspected of harboring Uday and Qusay Hussein in Mosul, Iraq, July 22, 2003. Uday and Qusay were killed in a gun battle as they resisted efforts by coalition forces to apprehend and detain them.

On August 24, 2008 Helmick survived a suicide bombing of the MRAP vehicle he was riding in near Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul. The suicide car bomb attack killed the attacker and damaged the International MaxxPro Plus vehicle, but Helmick, Brigadier General Raymond "Tony" Thomas, an Iraqi general and others inside the vehicle were not seriously injured.[4]

Personal life

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Helmick has attended a variety of military schools including the United States Military Academy, Infantry Officer Basic Course, the Armor Officer Advanced Course, the Naval Postgraduate School, the United States Armed Forces Staff Course at the Armed Forces Staff College, and the United States Army War College.

Awards and decorations

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Expert Infantryman Badge
Combat Action Badge
Ranger Tab
Master Parachutist Badge
Air Assault Badge
Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Silver oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Army Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Good Conduct Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Army Superior Unit Award
Bronze star
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal with three campaign stars
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon
Overseas Service Ribbon
NATO Medal (Kosovo)
Multinational Force and Observers Medal

Assignments

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From To Assignments
November 1976 July 1977 Platoon Leader, B Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas
July 1977 July 1980 Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, and Company Commander, C Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas
August 1983 June 1984 Organizational Effectiveness Staff Officer, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
June 1984 May 1985 Aide-de-Camp to the Deputy Commanding General, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
May 1985 April 1986 S-3 (Operations), 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 325th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
April 1986 April 1989 S-3 (Operations) and Executive Officer, 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 325th Infantry Regiment, Vicenza, Italy
February 1990 December 1990 Assignment Officer, Infantry Branch, United States Total Army Personnel Command, Alexandria, VA
December 1990 November 1991 Distribution Management Officer and Personnel Management Officer, Officer Distribution Division, United States Total Army Personnel Command, Alexandria, VA
November 1991 February 1994 Chief (Exercises), Operations Officer and Executive Officer, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, GA
February 1994 May 1996 Commander, 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
May 1996 July 1997 G-3 (Operations), 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
July 1998 June 2000 Commander, Ranger Training Brigade, Fort Benning, Georgia
June 2000 July 2002 Chief, Operations and Intelligence Division, J-34, The Joint Staff, Washington, DC
July 2002 June 2003 Assistant Division Commander (Maneuver) and Acting Division Commander, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Riley, Kansas
June 2003 April 2004 Assistant Division Commander (Operations), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq
April 2004 May 2006 Senior Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Washington, DC
July 2006 July 2008 Commanding General, United States Army Southern European Task Force, Italy
July 2008 November 2009 Commander, Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq / Commander, NATO Training Mission – Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq
November 2009 June 2012 Commanding General, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, North Carolina
February 2011 December 2011 Deputy Commanding General - Operations, United States Forces - Iraq

Effective dates of promotion

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Rank Date Of appointment
Second Lieutenant June 2, 1976
First Lieutenant June 2, 1978
Captain August 1, 1980
Major August 1, 1987
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 1993
Colonel June 1, 1998
Brigadier General March 1, 2003
Major General November 2, 2006
Lieutenant General July 3, 2008

References

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  1. ^ [1] Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick Commanding General Multi-National Security Transition Command Iraq. Retrieved on July 20, 2008.
  2. ^ [2] Helmick assumes command of XVIII Airborne Corps. Retrieved on Feb 1, 2010.
  3. ^ [3]. Unconventional Combat by Williamson Murray and Robert Scales, Jr. Retrieved on June 8, 2007.
  4. ^ Naylor, Sean D., "Close Call", Military Times, November 24, 2008.