Arthur W Radford (DD 968) - Naval Cruise Book

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REAR ADMIRAL WILLIAM C FRANCIS Commander, South Atlantic Force, U.S. ATLANTIC FLEET COMSOL ANT 16

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Commander, South Atlantic Force United States Atlantic Fleet The Commander of the United States Navy ' s South Atlantic Force (USCOMSOLANT) serves as the main link between the U.S. Navy and the Navies of South America. USCOMSOLANT was established on 1 June 1958. The headquarters were first in Trinidad, West Indies- then in San Juan, Puerto Rico: and since December 1973 have been located at U.S. Naval Station, Roosevelt Roads. USCOMSOLANT has participated in annual UNITAS deployments since 1959 and in addi- tion has deployed to Africa for Operation Ami- ty , and the West African Training Cruise. As a naval sub-area commander, USCOMSO- LANT is responsible to the Commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet for the Atlantic Command Area in the South Atlantic between the Tropic of Cancer and the Antarctic Circle. He exercises mil- itary command and operational control of all as- signed ships and units, and represents CIN- CLANTFLT with respect to naval matters in the countries in South America and Africa which fall within the Atlantic Command Area. USCOMSOLANT ' s mission with respect to UNITAS deployments is to conduct operations in South American waters with the combined forces of the U.S. Navy and participating South Ameri- can Navies. The navies take part in exercises in the areas of anti-submarine warfare, naval control of shipping, surface and air gunnery, and other naval operations, promoting the continued capability of those forces to ensure the security of vital sea lanes of communications in the Western Hemisphere. The concept of UNITAS was started in 1959 when Rear Admiral Edward C. Stephan, the first USCOMSOLANT, embarked on combined exer- cises which were held on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of South America. Plans for the concept and continuation of UNITAS were made at the Second Inter-American Naval Conference, held in June 1960. Admiral Arleigh A. Burke, then the Chief of Naval Operations, headed the U.S. delegation and nine Latin American countries were represented by their senior naval leaders. UNITAS exercises have been held every year since then.

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Rear Admiral William Charles Francis was born at Pauls Valley, Oklahoma on 28 June 1938. He grew up in Gainesville, Texas, and was commis- sioned an Ensign on 13 April 1962, following his graduation from Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. He is a graduate of North Texas State University receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Government. Rear Admiral Francis ' recent assignments in- clude duty on the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations as the Director, Program Resource Appraisal Division; Director, Command and Con- trol, Planning and Programming Division: and Ex- ecutive Assistant to the Vice Chief of Naval Oper- ations. Previous staff assignments include: duty on the staff of Commander in Chief Atlantic Fleet where he served as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Studies and Analysis: duty on the staff of the Sec- retary of Defense as a senior military analyst as- signed to the Asia Division within the Directorate for Planning and Evaluation: duty on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations as Systems Analyst assigned to the Systems Analysis Division of OP- NA V: duty on the personal staff of the Chief of Naval Operations as Assistant Secretary to the CNO for JCS matters and duty on the personal staff of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff and Administrative Assistant. Rear Admiral Francis ' previous sea duty assign- ments include: tours on board USS BL UE RIDGE (LCC 19) as Commanding Officer, USS WHIP- PLE (FF 1062) as Commanding Officer, USS JOHNS. MCCAIN (DDG 36) as Executive Offi- cer, USS ST FRANCIS RIVER (LFR 525) as Commanding Officer, USS FRANK E. EVANS (DD 745) as Engineering Officer, and USS HEN- LEY (DD 762) as Engineering Officer and Dam- age Control Assistant. Rear Admiral Francis ' personal awards include the Legion of Merit (fourth award). Bronze Star Medal with Combat V, Meritorious Service Medal (fifth award). Navy Commendation with Combat V, Navy Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ri- bon, and Vietnamese Distinguished Service Order Second Class. Rear Admiral Francis is married to the former Judith Louse Brown of Rossmoor, California. They have two children, Carrie and Scott. COMSOLANT 17