//////// Lt. Col Mike "Zak" Franzak began his military career when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in June 1981. After boot camp he served as an aviation ordnanceman with VF-1 aboard the USS Ranger and USS Kitty Hawk making one WESTPAC deployment. In 1983 he was awarded an NROTC scholarship, discharged, and sent to Texas A&M.
Mike "Zak" Franzak 中校在小鷹號與遊騎兵號當兵兩年(譯按:即飛行甲板上的紅汗衫--軍火) 後獲軍方獎學金入德州農工大學(1983,Texas A&M) 但仍屬軍方人馬(NROTC program)
While at Texas A&M, Mike changed his service commitment from Navy to Marine Corps and in 1985 he attended Amphibious Reconnaissance School (ARS). Mike graduated Recon School finishing 2 out of 40 Marines. In the summer of 1986, Mike attended "Bulldog," Officer Candidate School and graduated in the top 10%. In 1987 he graduated from Texas A&M with numerous academic and military awards and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
Mike then attended the "The Basic School," (TBS) at Quantico VA, a six-month program designed to indoctrinate all Marine officers in the responsibilities of a rifle platoon commander. In May 1988, Mike graduated as both the military honor and overall honor graduate from TBS, finishing 1 out of 221 in both categories.
After TBS, Mike attended flight school and was awarded jets. He was winged in August 1990 and selected to fly the AV-8B Harrier. He served five years in VMA-211, the "Avengers," making three more WESTPAC deployments and acquiring all major flight designations to include the prestigious Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) qualification. After completing his tour in VMA-211, Mike opted for a ground tour and was sent to 1st ANGLICO in Camp Pendelton, CA.
唯作者隨後選擇艦炮空火連絡官(ANGLICO, Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Companies)職務與地面部隊一同行動
While at 1st ANGLICO, Mike attended U.S. Army Airborne School at Ft. Benning, GA and graduated 1 out of 87. After completing his tour at 1st ANGLICO, Mike was asked to return to the coveted Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) and serve as an instructor. Mike completed the next four years as an AV-8B advanced tactics instructor at MAWTS-1, rewriting close air support doctrine and establishing operational requirements for the Joint Strike Fighter. In 2000, Mike was selected to attend the Naval War College.
在艦炮空火連絡官其間赴班寧堡空降學校受訓 結業成績為1/87 爾後成為人人稱羨陸戰航空武器與戰術第一中隊(MAWTS-1, Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One)的一員教官 飛 AV-8B 前後共計四年 其間改寫密接空火支援教範與撰寫陸戰隊對F-35的設計需求 2000年 作者受推甄入海軍戰爭學院(Naval War College)讀研究所
Mike graduated from the Naval War College in 2001 with a Masters Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. He returned to Yuma, AZ where he served as the Aircraft Maintenance Officer and Executive Officer of VMA-513, "The Flying Nightmares." Following the attacks of 9/11, the squadron deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan in October 2002 and supported combat operations until September 2003. Following his tour with VMA-513, Mike returned to Quantico, VA and served as the Technology Director for the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. In December of 2006, Mike retired from the military after two years of enlisted and 19 years of officer service. He accumulated over 2,000 hours in the AV-8B during his career.
His personal decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross with Combat "V," Air Medal with strike award number "5," the Meritorious Service Medal with gold star, the Navy Commodation Medal with two gold stars, and others. Of all the awards Mike achieved during his military career, the one he values most is achieving a perfect score of 300 on every physical fitness test (PFT) he took from the day he was commissioned until the day he retired.
