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gen freakley 220x220 - Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Benjamin Freakley

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Benjamin Freakley

Professor of Practice of Leadership for Arizona State University

Bio Current as of September 22, 2015

Lieutenant General Benjamin C. Freakley serves as the Professor of Practice of Leadership for Arizona State University and as a Special Advisor to ASU President Michael Crow for Leadership Initiatives. Additionally, he serves at The McCain Institute for International Leadership. He recently retired from the U.S. Army after more than 36 years of active military service, and was serving as Commanding General, U.S. Army Accessions Command, at the time of his retirement.

General Freakley was responsible for worldwide recruiting for the Active Duty and Reserve components as well as overseeing the Nation’s Junior and College ROTC programs. As an infantry officer, General Freakley commanded at all levels through division and combined joint task force. His operations assignments began with 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Stewart, Georgia in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Saudi Arabia, first as the Executive officer, 3rd Battalion-7th Infantry then as the S-3 (Operations), 1st Brigade. From March 2003 to June 2003, he served as Assistant Division Commander (Operations), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq. From 2003 to 2006 he commanded the Army’s largest training institute, the Infantry Center and School at Fort Benning, Georgia. In January 2006, as the Commanding General of the 10th Mountain Division (Light) and Fort Drum he led the division in Afghanistan serving as the Commanding General Combined Joint Task Force-76, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, where he served until February 2007.

In addition to his service with Combined Joint Task Force-76, General Freakley’s joint assignments included Deputy Director for Operations, National Military Command Center, J-3, The Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. (July 2000–May 2001); Deputy Director for Joint Warfighting Capability Assessment, J-8, The Joint Staff (May 2001–January 2002). Among his other assignments, General Freakley commanded 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 2d Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, from February 1992 to July 1994. Following graduation from the Army War College, he returned to 24th ID, where he served as G-3 from June 1995 to August 1996. He then served briefly as Deputy Chief of Staff, III Corps, at Fort Hood, before taking command of 3d Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (February 1997–December 1998). He was the Commander, Operations Group, National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California (January 1999 to July 2000). General Freakley was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry through the U.S. Military Academy in 1975. He later earned a Master of Military Art and Science degree from the School of Advanced Military Studies. Additional military schooling includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, British Long Armor/Infantry Course, the Command and General Staff College and the Army War College.

General Freakley’s awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star for Valor and ARCOM for Valor. He is an Eagle Scout and in 2010 was named the Education Policy Leader of the Year for the National Association for State Board Educators. He is married to the former Susan French of Woodstock, VA. They have five sons, four daughter-in-laws and seven grandchildren. Two sons are serving as Infantry Officers.