Frederick F. Woerner, Jr.

Infobox Military Person
name=Frederick F. Woerner, Jr.
born= birth year and age|1933
died=


caption=General Frederick F. Woerner, Jr.
nickname=
placeofbirth= Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Army
serviceyears=1955-1989
rank= General
unit=
commands=U.S. Southern Command 6th Army 193rd Infantry Brigade
battles= Vietnam War
awards= Legion of Merit
relations=
laterwork=Professor, Boston University

General Frederick Frank Woerner, Jr. (born August 12, 1933) is a retired United States Army general and former commander of United States Southern Command. He was relieved of duty by President George H. W. Bush in 1989.

Military career

Woerner was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was commissioned a second lieutenant in infantry upon graduating from the United States Military Academy in 1955. He later earned a Master of Arts degree in Latin American History from the University of Arizona. [http://nimitz.berkeley.edu/pastspeaker-1992.html The Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Memorial Lectureship in National Security Affairs bio] ]

Woerner served in assignments in the United States, Vietnam, and Latin America. He initially went to Vietnam in 1962 as an advisor, and following his tour there, spent the next 4 years in Latin America. [http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/old16inf/LTCWoerner.html Woerner bio from change of command brochure] ] His assignments in Latin America included living in Colombia in 1965, and spending a year studying and traveling throughout northern South America. He spent the next three years in Guatemala as a military advisor, focusing on using military forces in national socioeconomic development, an assignment which earned him a Legion of Merit. He was chosen to attend the Uruguayan Military Institute of Superior Studies in Montevideo. He also was Director of Latin American studies at the United States Army War College.

Woerner assumed command of the 193rd Infantry Brigade in Panama from 1982 to 1986, and was concurrently commander the United States Army Security Assistance Agency, Latin America. He served as the Commanding General of the Sixth United States Army at the Presidio of San Francisco from March 1986 to June 1987. Following this assignment, he became the Commander in Chief of United States Southern Command in 1987, and was also promoted to four star rank. He was relieved of command in 1989 prior to Operation Just Cause. Woerner had publicly criticized the Bush administration's policy in Panama in February 1989, saying the "Bush Administration was not prepared to deal with Panama's political crisis because of a 'policy vacuum' caused by the change of Administrations." [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE2DD153AF932A15754C0A96F948260 U.S. Military Chief Is Replaced In the Central American Region, New York Times, July 21, 1989] ] Though Pentagon officials denied a connection, the announcement of Woerner's ouster came a week after a Panamanian official suggested the removal of Woerner as part of a deal to lead to Manuel Noriega's resignation as President of Panama.

Post Military

In retirement, Woerner has been Professor of International Relations at Boston University. He has also worked as a consultant or associate with several companies, such as Burdeshaw Associates, Military Professional Resources, and Sumner Associates; and a consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton, The MITRE Corporation, Science Applications International Corporation, and Grupo Melo, a Panamanian corporation. He served as Chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commsion from 1994 to 2001. [ [http://www.abmc.gov/commission/history.php American Battle Monuments Commsion history] ]

ee also

*Booz Allen Hamilton

References