Commanding Officer
31st Marine Expeditionary Unit
(Special Operations Capable)
Colonel Frank W. Hicks
Colonel Hicks was born April 17, 1946 in Vallejo, California.
He graduated from San Diego State University in 1969 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1970. Following completion of The Basic School, he was assigned to the 1st Shore Party Battalion, 5th MAB as a Platoon Commander, then joined the 3d Shore Party Battalion, 3d Marine Division as the Assistant Operations Officer. During April 1971, he was transferred to the 3d Reconnaissance Battalion where he served as a Platoon Commander.
From July 1971 to January 1973, Colonel Hicks was assigned to the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division where he served as a Platoon Commander and Company Executive Officer. He was then ordered to Marine Barracks, Kenitra, Morocco, where he served as the Commanding Officer of 1st Guard Company, Sidi Yahia.
Returning to the U.S. in December 1974, Colonel Hicks reported for duty at The Basic School where he was a Staff Platoon Commander until attending the Amphibious Warfare School in August 1975. Following AWS graduation, he returned to the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion where he served as the Commanding Officer of Company "C" and Company "A." In October 1978, he was transferred to Okinawa where he served as the Executive Officer, then the Commanding Officer of General Support Maintenance Company, Maintenance Battalion, 3d Force Service Support Group.
Returning from Okinawa in 1979, Colonel Hicks reported for duty at The Basic School as a Tactics Instructor. He subsequently served as the Commanding Officer of two student companies before returning to the Tactics Group as the Head of the Offensive Tactics Section and as the Officer in Charge of the Marine Corps Rifle Squad Combat Competition. Following graduation from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College in 1984, he was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps as the Head of the Programs Section, Ground Training Branch of the Training Department.
Transferred to the 1st Marine Division in August 1986, Colonel Hicks served as the Assistant to the Division Operations Officer. For two years he was the Commanding Officer of 2d Battalion, 1st Marines and Battalion Landing Team 2/1, the ground combat element of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). In June 1989, he was assigned as the USMC Representative to the Joint Warfare Staff, British Royal Marines, Poole, England.
From July 1990 to June 1991, Colonel Hicks attended the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, receiving a Master of Arts degree in National Defense and Strategic Studies. He concurrently received a Master of Science degree in Management from Salve Regina University. Following NWC graduation, he served as the G-3, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego.
Colonel Hicks served as the Commanding Officer of the 24th Marine Regiment from May 8, 1993 to February 8, 1996. Presently serving on an unaccompanied tour in Okinawa, he has served as the as the Current Operations Officer, III MEF; Commanding Officer of the Marine Component, Joint Task Force Pacific Haven; and currently serves as the Commanding Officer, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Colonel Hicks is married to the former Kathy Van Leuween of St. Paul Kansas.
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