During his Navy career, retired Admiral Michael Franken served in numerous senior positions and commanded 24 ships.
On this episode of River to River, host Ben Kieffer talks to Admiral Franken, of Sioux City, to get his views on Afghanistan, where the Taliban takeover leaves the U.S. on a number of fronts and why the war there lasted so long.
Then, in the second half-hour, we continue our series of conversations with Iowa veterans of Afghanistan with retired Army officer and military aviator Brian O’Keefe of Des Moines. Beginning in 2010, O'Keefe served in Afghanistan in various capacities. He’s also a veteran of the Gulf and Iraq Wars.
Guests:
- Michael Franken, retired three-star admiral, U.S. Navy, former U.S. Senate Candidate
- Brian OKeefe, Chief Warrant Officer 4