Ken Keen
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General
P. K. "Ken" Keen, USA
is the Chief, Office of the Defense Representative-Pakistan for U.S. Central Command
. He previously served as Military Deputy Commander of U.S. Southern Command
. He assumed his current assignment in July 2011.
Keen is a native of Hyden, Kentucky
. He graduated from Eastern Kentucky University
in 1974 with a bachelor's degree
in mathematics
. He later earned a master's degree
in Latin America
n studies from the University of Florida
. LTG Keen also studied at the Brazilian Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College
.
Keen is known for his unique brand of caring for and connecting with those under his command.
An Infantry Officer with 18 years on airborne status, LTG Ken has commanded Light Airborne Infantry, Ranger, Special Forces, Military Group and Army Component units. His commands include a Special Forces Detachment (SCUBA) in 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group; Company and Battalion Commands in the 82nd Airborne Division; Command of 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; Command of the 75th Ranger Regiment; Command of U.S. Military Group Bogota, Colombia; Command of U.S. Army South (USARSO); and Command of Joint Task Force Haiti - Operation Unified Response.
LTG Keen participated in Operation JUST CAUSE as the Assistant S3 of the 75th Ranger Regiment and was Commander, Ranger Task Force during Operation DESERT STORM as part of Joint Special Operations Command.
From Septerm 2007 to September 2009, he served as the Director of the U.S. European Command Plans and Operations Center and the EUCOM Chief of Staff.
His awards and decorations include the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Defesne Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Pathfinder Badge, Combat SCUBA Diver, Combat Infantry Badge, Expert Infantry Badge and Master Parachutist Badge.
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
P. K. "Ken" Keen, USA
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
is the Chief, Office of the Defense Representative-Pakistan for U.S. Central Command
United States Central Command
The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
. He previously served as Military Deputy Commander of U.S. Southern Command
United States Southern Command
The United States Southern Command , located in Miami, Florida, is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning and operations in Central and South America, the Caribbean The United States Southern Command...
. He assumed his current assignment in July 2011.
Keen is a native of Hyden, Kentucky
Hyden, Kentucky
Hyden is a city in Leslie County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 365 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Leslie County. It is located at the junction of U.S. Route 421 and Kentucky Route 80, along the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River....
. He graduated from Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
in 1974 with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. He later earned a master's degree
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n studies from the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. LTG Keen also studied at the Brazilian Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College
U.S. Army War College
The United States Army War College is a United States Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500 acre campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks...
.
Keen is known for his unique brand of caring for and connecting with those under his command.
An Infantry Officer with 18 years on airborne status, LTG Ken has commanded Light Airborne Infantry, Ranger, Special Forces, Military Group and Army Component units. His commands include a Special Forces Detachment (SCUBA) in 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group; Company and Battalion Commands in the 82nd Airborne Division; Command of 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; Command of the 75th Ranger Regiment; Command of U.S. Military Group Bogota, Colombia; Command of U.S. Army South (USARSO); and Command of Joint Task Force Haiti - Operation Unified Response.
LTG Keen participated in Operation JUST CAUSE as the Assistant S3 of the 75th Ranger Regiment and was Commander, Ranger Task Force during Operation DESERT STORM as part of Joint Special Operations Command.
From Septerm 2007 to September 2009, he served as the Director of the U.S. European Command Plans and Operations Center and the EUCOM Chief of Staff.
His awards and decorations include the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Defesne Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Pathfinder Badge, Combat SCUBA Diver, Combat Infantry Badge, Expert Infantry Badge and Master Parachutist Badge.