Vincent Keith Brooks (born 24 October 1958) is a retired United States Armygeneral 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.[1] 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.
Brooks as a cadet in 1980Brooks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 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.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno and Dr. Carol Brooks promote Lt. Gen. Vincent Brooks to the rank of general during a ceremony at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, 2 July 2013.
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]
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,[6] the innovative approach has met high acclaim from the countries of the region and the units involved in the missions.[citation needed]
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.[7] 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[a] 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.[8][9] Brooks retired on 1 January 2019, following the completion of his command assignment in Korea.[10]
Retirement
After retiring from the U.S. military, Brooks has served as a director on multiple corporate boards, including Diamondback Energy[11] and the project management and engineering firm Jacobs,[12] which contracts heavily with the U.S. military. He is also a principal with WestExec Advisors,[13] a consulting firm that helps "defense corporations market their products to the Pentagon and other agencies," according to the Project On Government Oversight.[14][15]
^Secretary of the Vermont Senate. "Biography, Senator Francis K. Brooks". Vermont General Assembly. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Senate. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
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