Maj. Gen. Chad P. Franks is the Commander, 15th Air Force, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. Fifteenth Air Force organizes, trains and equips its headquarters to be a deployable, operational-level Joint Task Force and its subordinate commands to prepare for and execute expeditionary taskings. Additionally, 15th Air Force commands 13 wings and three direct reporting units in the U.S., ensuring the operational readiness of about 800 aircraft and more than 45,000 active duty and civilian members. Maj. Gen. Franks was commissioned in 1990 as a graduate of the University of New Orleans Air Force ROTC program. He has served in a variety of flying positions during assignments in Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Education and Training Command and Air Combat Command. He has commanded at the wing, group and squadron level. He has deployed in support of operations Provide Comfort, Northern Watch, Allied Force, Iraqi Freedom and Inherent Resolve. Prior to his current assignment, the general was the Ninth Air Force Commander at Shaw AFB. Maj. Gen. Franks is a command pilot with more than 3,300 hours.