Lieutenant General Frank Donovan currently serves as Vice Commander, United States Special Operations Command. An infantry, reconnaissance, and special operations officer, Lieutenant General Donovan has led Marines and Sailors in all three Marine Expeditionary Forces to include commanding a Force Reconnaissance Platoon, Battalion Landing Team, Marine Expeditionary Unit, Marine Expeditionary Brigade, and a Marine Division. He also commanded a Naval Task Force in 5th Fleet (CTF 51) and 6th Fleet (CTF 61). He has served in combat, contingency, and expeditionary operations at sea, from the sea, and ashore.
Other command assignments include a Marine Corps Security Forces Detachment in Crete, Greece; a Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team (FAST) platoon; and a Recruiting Station in Eastern Pennsylvania. He also was Officer in Charge of a Special Operations Training Group; Executive Officer for Marine Corps Special Operations Command, Detachment One; and Director of the Expeditionary Warfare School.
Joint tours include service as the J35, United States Special Operations Command; Branch Chief, Joint Staff, J-5 Trans-regional Threats Coordination Center (T2C2); and Assisting Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command.
Lieutenant General Donovan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from Towson University, a Master of Military Studies from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. He completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Harvard Business School. Lieutenant General Donovan and his wife Kim, a former Navy officer, have two children who are both active-duty U.S. Marines.
Became the vice commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, September 2022.
- JSOC
- Det One
- Marine Corps Communication
- MARSOC
- Expeditionary Warfare School
- Towson University
- Marine Corps Command and Staff College
- U.S. Army War College
- Harvard Business School