Francis J. Wiercinski

Francis J. Wiercinski
Lieutenant General Francis J. Wiercinski in May 2011
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1979–2013
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	United States Army Pacific United States Army, Japan 187th Infantry Regiment 6th Ranger Training Battalion
Battles/wars	United States invasion of Panama War in Afghanistan Iraq War
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (4)

Lieutenant General Francis J. (Frank) Wiercinski is a retired United States Army officer who was the Commander United States Army Pacific (USARPAC). Wiercinski joined the US Army in 1979.

On December 20, 1989, then Captain Wiercinski, Company Commander of Bravo Company, 3/75 Ranger Regiment, led his rangers during a night-time combat jump into Rio Hato, Panama during Operation Just Cause, assisting in the Regiment's successful seizure of the airfield.

He was previously the Deputy Commander for Support, of the Multinational Division North, Iraq.^[1] The troops under his command were responsible for a large part of Iraq, stretching from Baghdad to the Turkish border, and east and west to the borders of Iran and Syria.

During Operation Anaconda (2002), in Afghanistan, Wiercinski (then a colonel) was commander of the 187th Infantry Regiment (a. k. a. "The Rakkasans"), 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

Awards and decorations

	Combat Infantryman Badge (2 awards)
	Master Parachutist Badge with one bronze Combat Jump Device
	Ranger tab
	Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
	Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
	101st Airborne Division Combat Service Identification Badge
	187th Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia
	4 Overseas Service Bars

	Army Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Defense Superior Service Medal
	Legion of Merit with three bronze oak leaf clusters
	Bronze Star with "V" Device and oak leaf cluster
	Defense Meritorious Service Medal
	Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
	Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
	Army Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
	Valorous Unit Award
	Meritorious Unit Commendation
	Superior Unit Award
	National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with Arrowhead device
	Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Arrowhead device and service star
	Iraq Campaign Medal with service star
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Humanitarian Service Medal
	Army Service Ribbon
	Army Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze award numeral 4
	Order of the Rising Sun (Japan) 2nd Class, Gold and Silver Star
	Meritorious Service Medal (Canada, military version)
	Montana Distinguished Service Medal
	Unidentified award
	Hawaiian Medal of Honor

References

1. Beaumont, Peter (15 July 2007). "Violence ebbing. Wealth returning. Can this be Iraq?: The clamour is growing in America and Britain for troops to be brought home. Violence grips large parts of the country. But elsewhere the green shoots of recovery are showing through the rubble". The Observer.