Brigadier General Frank T. Hines, the first Chief of Transportation, enlisted in the Utah Light Artillery in 1898. He served during the Spanish-American War, taking part in two dozen engagements in the Philippines, and being commissioned a second lieutenant.

He advanced to captain at the outbreak of World War I. In 1918 he was promoted to Brigadier General and appointed as the Chief, Embarkation Services and Chief of Transportation. During this time he served with the Secretary of War, representing the United States at the Allied Maritime Transport Council. He served as Chief of Transportation until his retirement in 1920.

He was appointed as the head of the U.S. Veterans Bureau in 1923 and steered the organization through their moth challenging early days. He oversaw what was at the time the largest federal hospital in history, opening of benefits to Native Americans and women, transition of national homes into VA hospitals, and the G.I. Bill’s first year of implementation. In 1946 he was replaced in the position by General Omar Bradley. His final job prior to retirement was serving as the U.S Ambassador to Panama from November 1946 to February 1948. He died in 1960 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.