Vicky Smith
Managing Editor
@pinkwritinglady
Lieutenant Colonel Eric Treschl is a professor of military science, MS IV instructor and department chair of Cameron ROTC.
Treschl’s career in the army began in 1990 when he enlisted for necessary funds to finish college.
“I’m coming up on the start of my 26th year,” he said. “I was enlisted for about eight years [and] rose to the rank of Sergeant First Class. I was stationed in Fort Bragg, Korea, Fort Sill and Oklahoma City. … I was stationed in Oklahoma City during the time of the Murrah Building explosion in ’95.”
Treschl then became a Warrant Officer, which is a technical-skilled officer.
“My skill was field artillery technician,” he said. “I was a radar technician and targeting officer. I did that for three years. I achieved the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Two. During that time, I was stationed at Fort Sill with a tour to Kuwait in 1999. When I returned, I applied to become a Commissioned Officer.”
Treschl said he has been a Commissioned Officer since 2001.
“I went to Officer Candidate School to become a Commissioned Officer,” he said. “It’s a little bit different than ROTC. I was stationed at Fort Sill with two Iraq deployments. I had the privilege to Command a Field Artillery Battery for 26 months, I was the Battalion Operations Officer, Battalion Executive Officer and a Brigade Operations Officer.
“I attended the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama and the School of Advanced Military Studies at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Just before Treschl starting working at Cameron, he was deployed in Kabul, Afghanistan.
“I was a planner for the Combined Security Transition Command [in] Afghanistan and Targeting Director for Operation Resolute Support, also in Afghanistan.
“I feel fortunate for the opportunities that I’ve had, and I’m thankful for those opportunities as well.”
Treschl’s advice to students who are striving to become leaders is “don’t constrain yourself.”
“As soon as you think you can’t do something, you just closed a door,” he said. “Keep your mind open and look for those opportunities. … Don’t start out saying, ‘I can’t do that,’ or ‘I was told I can’t do this.’
“Be ready for opportunity, and when it presents itself, then jump on it.”