Individual Details

Mr. Neil M. Franklin is an instructor with the Historian Development School of the Eaker College for Professional Development, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. The school prepares new Air Force historians for their initial assignments and deployments in support of contingency operations. Mr. Franklin was born in Montgomery, Alabama. He graduated from Robert E. Lee High School, Montgomery, Alabama. He attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery for two years before transferring to the University of Alabama where he received a B.A. in History and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army in 1969. Mr. Franklin obtained his M.A. in History from the University of Alabama and taught for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, North Carolina, before entering active duty in August 1970. After completing Infantry Officer Basic and Tactical Military Intelligence courses, Mr. Franklin was assigned to Headquarters, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Kitzingen, Germany, where he served as Brigade Intelligence Officer. Upon completion of his active duty obligation, Mr. Franklin taught for the University of Maryland in Europe. In 1974 he returned to Montgomery, Alabama and in 1975 became a Claims Examiner for the Veterans Administration. Mr. Franklin joined the Air Force History Program in June 1981 as Historian of the 20th Air Division at Fort Lee Air Force Station, Virginia. In May 1983, Mr. Franklin became Historian of the Air Force Data Systems Design Center at Gunter Air Force Station, Alabama. As the unit moved through reorganizations and redesignations, Mr. Franklin served as Historian of the Air Force Teleprocessing Center, the Standard Information Systems Center, the Standard Systems Center the Computer Systems Division, the Standard Systems Group, the Operations and Sustainment Systems Group and the 754th Electronic Systems Group. Mr. Franklin continued his association with the United States Army. He became a member of the 167th Corps Support Command in 1976. In 1980 he transferred to the 23 United States Army Reserve and joined the 87th Maneuver Area Command. In 1985 Mr. Franklin joined the 3385th United States Army Reserve Forces School as a Command and General Staff Officer Course Instructor, becoming Director of Officer Courses in December 1994 and School Commandant in April 1996. He is currently a member of the Retired Reserve. Mr. Franklin is married to the former Margaret Kemper Waters of Montgomery, Alabama. They have one child, Wilson.

EDUCATION:
B.A., History, University of Alabama, 1969
M.A., History, University of Alabama, 1970
Command and General Staff Officer Course, U.S. Army, 1985

ASSIGNMENTS:
20th Air Division, June 1981
Air Force Data Systems Design Center, May 1983
Air Force Teleprocessing Center, May 1984
Standard Information Systems Center, March 1985
Standard Systems Center, November 1986
Computer Systems Division, July 1989
Standard Systems Center, July 1991
Headquarters Standard Systems Group, January 1995
Operations and Sustainment Systems Group December 2004
754th Electronic Systems Group April 2006

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Military: Overseas Ribbon
Army Commendation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal
Civilian: Tactical Air Command Best Organizational History Oct-Dec 1981




Tactical Air Command Best Organizational History Apr-Jun 1982

Effective Dates of Promotion:
to GS-11 May 1983
to GS-12 Jul 1990

Marriage		Margaret Kemper Waters
Birth		Montgomery, Montgomery County, Alabama

Spouse	Margaret Kemper Waters (1953 - )
Child	Wilson Franklin ( - )