Lieutenant Colonel Kevin R. Franke assumed duties as the Deputy Commander, Engineer Research and Development Center on June 21, 2022. Prior to this assignment he served at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas as an engineer and protection warfighting function observer, coach, trainer at the U.S. Army Mission Command Training Program for three years covering 14 Warfighter exercises.
A native of Ohio, Lt. Col. Franke earned his commission from the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School at Ft. Benning, Georgia in April 2006 after completing Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
Upon completion of the Engineer Officer Basic Course at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, Lt. Col. Franke was assigned to the 19th Engineer Battalion at Fort Knox, Kentucky where he served as an assistant S3 battle captain, platoon leader in the 15th Horizontal Engineer Company, battalion training officer, and battalion construction officer from 2006-2010. He then served as an Engineer Basic Officer Leadership Course small group instructor for 15 months prior to attending the career course upon returning to Fort Leonard Wood.
Lt. Col. Franke was then stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado with the 52nd Engineer Battalion where he commanded the 544th Vertical Engineer Company from 2012-2014. Upon completion of company command he was assigned to the 7th Army Training Command in Grafenwoehr, Germany where he was the operations officer for Training Support Activity Europe, and the deputy strategic planner for the 7th Army Headquarters from 2014-2017. Lt. Col. Franke then served as the battalion operations officer and executive officer for the 169th Engineer Battalion, 1st Engineer Brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri from 2017-2019.
Lt. Col. Franke served one tour in Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, and one tour in Afghanistan supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, both with the 19th Engineer Battalion.
Lt. Col. Franke is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic and Engineer Captains Career Courses, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the Joint Engineer Operations Course.
His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (4 OLC), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (2 OLC), Afghanistan Campaign Medal (2 CS), Iraq Campaign Medal (2CS), NATO Medal, and Combat Action Badge.
Lt. Col. Franke holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toledo College of Engineering, and a Master of Science in Geological Engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology.