While fighting in Cambodia he was severely wounded, and after a series of unsuccessful surgeries, lost his left leg, which was amputated below the knee.

On the second day of the ground war, General Norman Schwarzkopf publicly expressed frustration over what he characterized as VII Corps' slow pace, allowing elements of the Republican Guard to escape destruction by fleeing toward Basra.

In his memoir, Franks criticized Schwarzkopf as a career infantryman who had little feel for the maneuvering of armored formations and for being a "chateau general" by trying to run the war from a bunker 400 miles to the south in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

[2] Franks is credited in United States Air Force history in bringing modern day ISR capabilities to the fight.

After witnessing a demonstration of JSTARS in exercise Deep Strike in Germany, Franks' positive impression led to him raving about the capability to Schwarzkopf.

JSTARS proved indispensable in providing the JFACC with real-time intelligence and targeting information on advancing and retreating Iraqi ground forces.

[3] Following the Gulf War, Franks was promoted to full general, and took over the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command.