Vincent K. Brooks

{{short description|American four star Army general (born 1958)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}{{Use American English|date=December 2024}}

{{Infobox military person

| name = Vincent K. Brooks

| image = GEN Vincent K. Brooks.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = General Vincent K. Brooks

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|10|24|df=y}}

| birth_place = Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| placeofburial =

| allegiance = United States

| branch = United States Army

| serviceyears = 1980–2019

| rank = General

| servicenumber =

| unit =

| commands = United States Forces Korea
United Nations Command
ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command
United States Army Pacific
Third Army
1st Infantry Division
1st Cavalry Division
1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division
2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment

| battles = Kosovo War
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War

| awards = Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Army Distinguished Service Medal (4)
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (4)
Bronze Star Medal (2)

| relations = Major General Leo A. Brooks Sr. (father)
Naomi Brooks (mother)
Brigadier General Leo A. Brooks Jr. (brother)
Francis K. Brooks (uncle)
Brigadier General Mark C. Quander (cousin)

| laterwork =

}}

Vincent Keith Brooks (born 24 October 1958) is a retired United States Army general who last commanded United States Forces Korea, United Nations Command, and ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command. He previously served as the commanding general of United States Army Pacific and prior to that as the commanding general of Third Army.{{cite web|title=Lt. Gen. Brooks assumed command of Third Army|url=http://www.dvidshub.net/news/71564/lt-gen-brooks-assumes-command-third-army|publisher=DVIDS|access-date=5 June 2011}} Brooks was the United States Central Command Deputy Director of Operations during the War in Iraq, and frequently briefed the media, which raised his public profile. He also served as the Chief of Army Public Affairs The Pentagon. He was the deputy commander of 1st Cavalry Division in Baghdad during the 2006–2008 "surge" and upon returning to the United States became the commanding general of the same division. He later was commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division. Brooks assumed command in Korea on 30 April 2016, and was succeeded by Robert B. Abrams in November 2018, then retired on 1 January 2019.

Family

Brooks was born in Anchorage, Alaska, on 24 October 1958. He grew up as an Army brat in a prominent military family in California. His father, Major General Leo A. Brooks Sr., and brother, Brigadier General Leo A. Brooks Jr., both retired after careers in the United States Army.Boeing Corporation, [http://www.boeing.com/boeing/aboutus/govt_ops/leadership/brooks_leo.page Biography, Leo A. Brooks, Jr.], 2011Virginia State University Alumni Association, [http://www.vsuaaonline.com/alumni_military/print/ Alumni in the military], Leo A. Brooks, Sr., accessed May 7, 2013 His uncle, Francis K. Brooks, was the majority leader of the Vermont House of Representatives and a member of the Vermont Senate.{{cite book |last=Hawkins |first=Walter L. |date= 2009-02-13|title=Black American Military Leaders: A Biographical Dictionary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y40-CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA59 |location=Jefferson, NC |publisher=McFarland & Company |pages=59–60 |isbn=978-0-7864-4462-5 |ref={{sfnRef|Black American Military Leaders: A Biographical Dictionary}}}}{{cite web |url=http://legislature.vermont.gov/people/single/2018/27153 |title=Biography, Senator Francis K. Brooks |author=Secretary of the Vermont Senate |work=Vermont General Assembly |publisher=Vermont Senate |location=Montpelier, VT |access-date=February 21, 2017 |ref={{sfnRef|"Biography, Senator Francis K. Brooks"}}}} Brooks attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, Virginia for two years, and then Jesuit High School in Carmichael, California, where he graduated in 1976. He was a varsity basketball player, and decided to follow his brother to United States Military Academy at West Point to earn a commission as an officer.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

Military service

File:CDT Vincent Brooks.jpg

File:Secretary Pompeo is Greeted by Commander General Brooks in Osan (42775227481) (cropped).jpg in 2018]]

At West Point, Brooks was the academy's first African-American First Captain, the highest position (Cadet Brigade Commander) a cadet can hold, an appointment which brought much public visibility at an early age in life. He graduated from West Point in 1980.

After graduating, Brooks served in South Korea and Kosovo among other places. In Kosovo, he concurrently served as the deputy commander of the U.S. force in Kosovo (Task Force Falcon) and as commander of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division based at Fort Stewart in Georgia. From that position he moved to the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. While serving there he was temporarily assigned to be deputy director of Operations at United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Returning to the Pentagon and the Joint Staff in April 2003, he became the Lead Strategic Planner for the Global War on Terrorism working closely with the CIA, the Departments of State, Treasury and Justice, the FBI and the military's United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM).{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

File:Gen. Brooks promotion ceremony 130702-A-AO884-085.jpg

In his role as deputy director of Operations, Brooks also became the spokesperson of CENTCOM, the main force in the Middle East. At that time he was the youngest general officer in the army.

From 2006 to 2008 Brooks served as the Deputy Commanding General of the 1st Cavalry Division, serving for fifteen months in Baghdad as second-in-command of the main effort (Multinational Division – Baghdad) stabilizing the Iraqi capital city and province during what is now called "The Surge." Upon return from Iraq, he took command of the 1st Cavalry Division until April 2008. Following an assignment as the Deputy Commanding General of the Army's III (Third) Corps at Fort Hood, Texas, he again took command of a combat unit, serving as the Commanding General of the historic 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley in Kansas from April 2009 to May 2011. He deployed the unit to Iraq for a year, serving as U.S. Division – South, responsible for securing the heavily Shi'ite areas of the southern half of the country. The headquarters was in Basra, Iraq. Following two years in a second division-level command, Brooks took command of U.S. Army Central and Third Army responsible for all U.S. Army operations throughout the Middle East and Central Asia (from Egypt to Kazakhstan). During this time, Brooks oversaw the reduction of forces in Iraq as well as the build up of forces in Afghanistan.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

As the Commanding General of United States Army Pacific and as a part of the "Asia Pivot" of the Obama administration foreign policy, Brooks envisioned and executed the "Pacific Pathways" program. The program consists of a single United States Army unit that would move to different countries of the Asia and Pacific regions for up to three months at a time to develop first-hand understanding of the region. While initially criticized in some circles,{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/armys-pacific-pathways-initiative-sets-up-turf-battle-with-marines/2013/12/29/11c948c8-69b1-11e3-a0b9-249bbb34602c_story.html |title=Army's 'Pacific Pathways' initiative sets up turf battle with Marines |last1=Chandrasekaran |first1=Rajiv |date=29 December 2013 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=3 April 2014}} the innovative approach has met high acclaim from the countries of the region and the units involved in the missions.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

In March 2016, Brooks was nominated to command United States Forces Korea, the U.S.-South Korea Combined Forces Command, and United Nations Command, succeeding General Curtis Scaparrotti.{{cite press release |date=March 21, 2016 |title=Release No: NR-101-16: Statement by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on Gen. Vincent K. Brooks |url=https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/699142/statement-by-secretary-of-defense-ash-carter-on-gen-vincent-k-brooks/ |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Press Operations |agency=U.S. Department of Defense}} He served until October 2018, and was succeeded by Robert B. Abrams. On 4 November 2016, Brooks was bestowed the Korean name Park Yu-jong{{family name footnote|lang=Korean|Park}} by the ROK-US Alliance Friendship Association to show appreciation for his contributions to strengthening relations between the American and Korean armed forces. He also received a scroll and a taekwondo black belt and uniform inscribed with the moniker.{{cite web|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20161107000629|title=USFK Commander given Korean name in ceremony|date=2016-11-07|access-date=2021-06-30|website=Korea Herald}}{{cite web|last=Gamel|first=Kim|url=https://www.stripes.com/what-s-in-a-name-usfk-commander-to-be-honored-with-korean-moniker-1.437185|title=What's in a name? USFK commander to be honored with Korean moniker|date=2016-11-03|access-date=2021-06-30|website=Stars and Stripes}} Brooks retired on 1 January 2019, following the completion of his command assignment in Korea.{{cite news |last=Schifrin |first=Nick |date=January 18, 2019 |title=What a 2nd Trump-Kim summit could mean for the push to denuclearize North Korea |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/what-a-2nd-trump-kim-summit-could-mean-for-the-push-to-denuclearize-north-korea |work=PBS |location=Washington, DC}}

Retirement

After retiring from the U.S. military, Brooks has served as a director on multiple corporate boards, including Diamondback Energy{{Cite web|title=Vincent Brooks {{!}} Board of Directors {{!}} Diamondback Energy, Inc.|url=https://www.diamondbackenergy.com/board-directors/vincent-brooks|access-date=2021-04-10|website=www.diamondbackenergy.com|language=en}} and the project management and engineering firm Jacobs,{{Cite news|date=2020-08-17|title=Jacobs Appoints Vincent Brooks to Board of Directors; Steve Demetriou Quoted {{!}} ExecutiveBiz|newspaper=Executivebiz |url=https://blog.executivebiz.com/2020/08/jacobs-appoints-vincent-brooks-to-board-of-directors-steve-demetriou-quoted/|access-date=2021-04-10|language=en-US}} which contracts heavily with the U.S. military. He is also a principal with WestExec Advisors,{{Cite web|date=2020-09-09|title=WestExec Welcomes General Vincent Brooks, USA (Ret.) and Ambassador Dana Shell Smith|url=https://westexec.com/westexec-welcomes-general-vincent-brooks-usa-ret-and-ambassador-dana-shell-smith/|access-date=2021-04-10|website=WestExec Advisors|language=en}} a consulting firm that helps "defense corporations market their products to the Pentagon and other agencies," according to the Project On Government Oversight.{{Cite web|title=Should Michèle Flournoy Be Secretary of Defense?|url=https://www.pogo.org/analysis/2020/11/should-michele-flournoy-be-secretary-of-defense/|access-date=2021-04-10|website=Project On Government Oversight|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=The secretive consulting firm that's become Biden's Cabinet in waiting|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/23/westexec-advisors-biden-cabinet-440072|access-date=2021-04-10|website=POLITICO|date=23 November 2020 |language=en}}

Awards and decorations

130px Expert Infantryman Badge
110px Combat Action Badge
80px Ranger tab
90px Senior Parachutist Badge
90px Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
90px Army Staff Identification Badge
60px 1st Cavalry Division Combat Service Identification Badge
90px United Nations Command Badge
50px 9th Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia
120px Silver German Parachutist Badge
50px 7 Overseas Service Bars

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Defense Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}} Defense Distinguished Service Medal
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}14px14px14px Army Distinguished Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}} Defense Superior Service Medal
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=60}}14px14px14px Legion of Merit with three bronze oak leaf cluster
{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|name=Bronze Star ribbon|width=60}} Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|name=Defense Meritorious Service ribbon|width=60}} Defense Meritorious Service Medal
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}14px14px14px Meritorious Service Medal with one silver and two bronze oak leaf clusters
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|name=Air Medal ribbon|width=60}} Air Medal
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Joint Service Commendation ribbon.svg|width=60}} Joint Service Commendation Medal
{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}} Army Commendation Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Achievement Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}14px14px Army Achievement Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
{{ribbon devices|number=5|type=oak|ribbon=Joint Meritorious Unit Award ribbon.svg|width=60}} Joint Meritorious Unit Award with silver oak leaf cluster
{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Meritorious_Unit_Commendation_ribbon.svg|width=60}} Meritorious Unit Commendation with one bronze oak leaf cluster
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Superior Unit Award ribbon.svg|width=60}} Superior Unit Award
{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}} National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=KosovoRib.svg|width=60}} Kosovo Campaign Medal with one bronze service star
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Iraq Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}11px11px11px11px Iraq Campaign Medal with four service stars
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary ribbon.svg|width=60}}11px11px Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with two service stars
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon.svg|width=60}} Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Korea Defense Service ribbon.svg|width=60}} Korea Defense Service Medal
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Service Ribbon.svg|width=60}} Army Service Ribbon
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=numeral|ribbon=Army Overseas Service Ribbon.svg|width=60}}11px Army Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze award numeral 6
60px NATO Medal for Kosovo
{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Inter-american defense board medal ribbon.svg|width=60}} Inter-American Defense Board Medal
60px Order of the Rising Sun, Grand Cordon (Japan)
60px Order of National Security Merit, Tong-il Medal (Republic of Korea)

Family

Notes

{{Notelist}}

References

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