Major John E. Franklin became the deputy commander of the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville Feb. 04, 2025. Prior to his current assignment, he was Brigade Executive Officer for the 177th Combined Arms Training of First Army’s Division East.
He received his commission from the United States Military Academy in 2009. After Officer Basic Course in Fort Leonard Wood Missouri, Major Franklin reported to the 1-41 Infantry Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, at Fort Bliss, Texas in 2010 where he served as an Infantry Platoon Leader. After selection as the C “Chosen” Company, 1-13th Squadron, he immediately deployed to Afghanistan where he served as an Executive Officer, then Brigade Engineer. As the Brigade Engineer he oversaw the execution of construction projects across 18 Company Out-Posts and Forward Operating Bases and mobility operation - supporting operations in provinces of Logar, Wardak, and Bayman. Upon return, he continued to serve as the Brigade Engineer until he attended the Captains Career Course where he completed his first master’s degree in Geological Engineering. Upon completion he was offered the opportunity to support engineer operations across the European and African area of operations in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff – Engineer, Wiesbaden, Germany.
In 2015, Major Franklin served as the Battalion S4, Regimental Engineer Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment USAG Bavaria, Grafenwoehr, Germany. In this assignment he coordinated the movement of his battalion on a 1300km road march, establishing life support areas, and facilitating operations. His following assignment was as command of Alpha Troop (Sapper), Regimental Engineer Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment. During his command, he retained a persistence presence in northeastern Poland where he produced an 863m Russian Right Defile Trench, among countless deployments to 14 Europe conducting operations with allied and partnered foreign combat engineer elements. In each location, US Army engineers partnered with host nation engineer forces, improved relationships, and conducted cross training.
After command, Major Franklin went to the Southwestern Division USACE Area Office in San Antonio, Texas as a Project Engineer overseeing the execution of historical renovations, most prominently the ARNORTH headquarters. In 2018 Major Franklin attended Command and General Staff College he completed his second master’s degree in Operational Studies before his assignment to the 3-314 Brigade Engineer Battalion, 177th Combined Arms Training Brigade, Camp Shelby, Mississippi. While serving as the 3-314 BEB Executive Officer, he was selected as the Brigade Executive Officer. In the two years in these assignments, he oversaw training of 30,000 National Guard and Reserve Soldiers.
Major Franklin holds a Bachelor of Science in American Legal Studies from the United States Military Academy as well as one Masters in Geological Engineering from Missouri Science and Technology and one Masters of Operational Studies from the Army Command and General Staff College. He is a graduate of the Army Engineer Officer Basic Course, the Army Engineer Captains Career Course, and the Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC).