Photo By Sgt. Miguel Ruiz | Col. Timothy Oschner, former commander of Special Operations Detachment - Africa...... read more read more
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BASTROP, Texas – Col. Timothy Ochsner relinquished his command of a Texas Army National Guard unit in preparation for his upcoming retirement, Oct. 20, 2019 at Camp Swift near Bastrop.
Ochsner, former commander of Special Operations Detachment – Africa (Airborne), welcomed SOD-A’s new commander during a change of command ceremony and reflected on his time as commander.
“The mission and the guys motivate me to come to work and give it my all. They are great to work with,” Ochsner said. “I hope I left them my experiences and knowledge that I have gained over the years.”
Ochsner was the first commander of Texas Army National Guard special forces when the units were created in 2007 and took command of SOD-A in 2016.
“He is a commander that really cares,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Harless, senior enlisted advisor. “He is that guy that is more worried about everyone else and will pause to help others be successful before himself.”
Ochsner enlisted as a tank mechanic in the Texas Guard in 1985. After his first term of service, he commissioned as an officer. Ochsner said that becoming an officer was a significant turning point in his career, as he developed his team-oriented leadership style.
“When I was younger, I was eager to just get things done. If there was a wall, I would say let’s bust through or jump over it,” said Ochsner. “Now I know that we can take a step back and maybe just find a ladder.”
Ochsner said he is not eager to retire from service but is excited to give more time to his family and his civilian career as chief pilot of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
He said that he plans to stay active within the special forces community by supporting the Special Forces Association (a support group for special forces members and their families).
Ochsner’s strong leadership and family-oriented values have left a lasting impression on more than his immediate relatives.
“He’s very welcoming and brings people together not only as a team, but as a family,” said Harless. “We call him Pop-Pop. He will always be Pop-Pop, to the guys and to me.”
| Date Taken: | 10.20.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 10.21.2019 17:59 |
| Story ID: | 348356 |
| Location: | AUSTIN, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 1,504 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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