Vincent Brooks
|
|
Vincent K. Brooks (born 1959) is an American brigadier general, who was the United States Army's Deputy Director of Operations during the War in Iraq. This position made him visible in the media.
General_Brooks.jpg
Brooks is an African-American and was born in Anchorage, Alaska, Brooks grew up in California. He was a basketball player; however, he decided to follow his brother to West Point to study to become an officer. He graduated in 1980, and he served in Korea and Kosovo. At the latter, he commanded a large body of troops, before moving to command the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia. From that position he moved directly to be Deputy Director of Operations.
His role as Deputy Director of Operations him to be the spokesperson of United States Central Command, the main force in the Middle East. He has claimed not to have wanted the job of being the spokesperson for the approximately quarter of a million troops stationed in Iraq, but was "forced" into the limelight, much like his former superior, General Tommy Franks (who, some people say, was "allergic" to the limelight). However, his charisma and speaking ability have caused the media to prefer his briefings to those of many other spokespersons.