| Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. | |
| Nickname: | Frank |
| Birth Date: | [1] |
| Birth Place: | Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Allegiance: | United States |
| Branch: | United States Marine Corps |
| Serviceyears: | 1979–2022 |
| Rank: | General |
| Unit: | 1st Battalion, 6th Marines |
| Commands: | United States Central Command 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit 1st Battalion, 6th Marines |
| Battles: | War in Afghanistan Iraq War |
| Awards: | Navy Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal (3) Legion of Merit (3) Bronze Star Medal |
Kenneth Franklin McKenzie Jr.[2] (born 1956 or 1957) is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 14th commander of the United States Central Command from March 28, 2019 to April 1, 2022.[3] [4] He served as Director of the Joint Staff from July 5, 2017 after having previously served for two years as Director of Strategic Plans and Policy (J-5) on the Joint Staff.[5]
In May 2022, he became the Executive Director of the Global and National Security Institute, University of South Florida, and in July 2022 he was appointed Executive Director for the Florida Center for Cybersecurity. He also serves as the President, Board of Directors, of the Institute for Applied Engineering, University of South Florida.[6]
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, McKenzie was commissioned in 1979 via the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps at The Citadel. McKenzie holds a master's degree in history from the National Defense University and has served as a Senior Military Fellow at the school's Institute for National Strategic Studies. He is an Honors Graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the School of Advanced Warfighting.[7]
As an infantry officer McKenzie's assignments have included command of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, and of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, which he led on deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan.[8] He also served as Military Secretary to two Commandants of the Marine Corps.
McKenzie's general officer posts have included Deputy Director of Operations for the National Military Command Center in the Pentagon. In 2008 he was selected by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to serve as director of his new administration transition team, overseeing the transition of military forces under incoming President Barack Obama. He returned to Afghanistan serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Stability under the International Security Assistance Force,[9] followed by a tour as Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy at United States Central Command. He then returned to the Pentagon to serve as the Marine Corps Representative to the Quadrennial Defense Review and, after receiving his third star, was appointed Commanding General of United States Marine Forces Central Command.[10]
As CENTCOM commander, McKenzie oversaw the successful high-profile special forces raid in Syria to kill or capture then-Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in October 2019,[11] and the 2020–2021 withdrawals and reductions of U.S. troops from Iraq.[12]
During the 2020–2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, McKenzie replaced General Austin "Scott" Miller as leader of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan upon the latter's resignation on July 12, 2021, with Miller's departure perceived by some as "the symbolic end of the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan."[13] One month later, McKenzie was responsible for the August 2021 Kabul drone strike which targeted and killed civilians, 7 children and 3 adults.[14]
McKenzie retired from active duty on 1 April 2022, after relinquishing command of CENTCOM to General Michael Kurilla.[15] [4] [16]
| 1st row | Defense Distinguished Service Medal | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd row | Navy Distinguished Service Medal | Defense Superior Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters | Legion of Merit with two gold award stars | Bronze Star Medal | |||||||||
| 3rd row | Defense Meritorious Service Medal | Meritorious Service Medal with two award stars | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal | Combat Action Ribbon | |||||||||
| 4th row | Joint Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster | Navy Unit Commendation | National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star | Kosovo Campaign Medal with service star | |||||||||
| 5th row | Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two service stars | Iraq Campaign Medal with service star | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Korea Defense Service Medal | |||||||||
| 6th row | Humanitarian Service Medal | Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with four service stars | Navy Arctic Service Ribbon | NATO Medal for Kosovo with service star | |||||||||
| Badge | Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge | ||||||||||||
| Badge | United States Central Command Badge | ||||||||||||
| Second Lieutenant | June 8, 1979 | ||
| First Lieutenant | June 1, 1981 | ||
| Captain | February 1, 1985 | ||
| Major | Sept 1, 1989 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel | Oct 5, 1995 | ||
| Colonel | Oct 8, 2001 | ||
| Brigadier General | July 1, 2007 | ||
| Major General | March 5, 2011 | ||
| Lieutenant General | June 3, 2014 | ||
| General | March 15, 2019 |