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Battalion Commander,  LTC Pope

Lieutenant Colonel French D. Pope III is from Germantown, Maryland and received his commission into the Engineer Corps after graduation from McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College) in 2004. LTC Pope served as a Sapper Platoon Leader from 2005-6 in RC-East Afghanistan, Light Equipment Platoon Leader from 2006-7, and Executive Officer from 2007-8 in Bravo (Bushmaster) Company of the 37TH Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne) in Fort Bragg.

After completion of the Engineer Captains Career Course, LTC Pope was assigned to the 1ST Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 10TH Mountain Division in 2010. He served as the Assistant Brigade Logistics Officer for Contracting, responsible for Forward Operations Base expansion contracts and redeploying the Brigade from RC-North Afghanistan. LTC Pope then took command of Alpha Company, 1ST Brigade Special Troops Battalion from 2011-12 then the Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) 1ST BCT from 2012-13. French deployed to Afghanistan for a third time as a Forward Operating Base (FOB) Mayor of FOB Arian responsible for over 1,500 US Forces, civilians and contractors.

LTC Pope then completed the Command and General Staff College. LTC Pope served as the Deputy G33 for Current Operations in Headquarters United States Corps of Engineers (USACE) in Washington, DC from 2014-17. He then served as the Battalion Operations Officer and Executive Officer in the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power) in Fort Belvoir, VA from 2017-19. Prior to assuming duties as the Aide-De-Camp to The Inspector General, LTC Pope completed a 90-Day Service Chief Fellowship at the Defense Advanced Research and Programs Agency (DARPA) and served as the Assistant Professor of Military Science at The Johns Hopkins University in 2019. LTC Pope served as the Aide De Camp to The 66th Inspector General of the U.S. Army in 2020. He continued to serve in the Pentagon from 2020-2023 on the Joint Staff as a Special Events Manager and a Presidential Strike Advisor in the National Military Command Center.    

LTC Pope holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from McDaniel College, a Master of Science in Engineer Management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and a Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Howard University. His awards include the Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 4 Stars, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Ranger Tab, Sapper Tab, Senior Parachutist Airborne Badge, Air Assault Badge, the Legionnaire Order of the Saint Maurice and Bronze Order of the de Fleury Medal.

Battalion Command Sergeant Major, CSM Travis

SGM William Travis is native of Hammond, Louisiana.  He enlisted in the United States Army in September 2001 as an Airborne Combat Engineer. 

SGM Travis has served in every leadership position from Team Leader to Battalion Command Sergeant Major.  He has served as a Team Leader, Squad Leader, Company Operations Sergeant, Platoon Sergeant, Operational Advisor, Troop Sergeant Major, Company First Sergeant, Battalion Operations Sergeant Major and Battalion Command Sergeant Major.

His states assignments include Fort Bragg, North Carolina with the 307^th and 127^th Engineer Battalions and as the Operations Sergeant Major for 2^nd BN 505^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3^rd BCT 82D ABN DIV. In Fort Meade, Maryland he was assigned to Able Squadron (EUCOM aligned) Asymmetric Warfare Group. He was assigned as student to the Sergeants Major Academy in Fort Bliss, Texas.  His overseas assignment is Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson with the 4th BCT, 25th Infantry Division. He has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan for multiple combat operations. Additionally, he has served in an advisory capability in Lebanon and Ukraine in support of U.S State Department efforts. He is currently assigned as the Battalion Command Sergeant Major for 27^th Engineer BN.  

SGM Travis’ military education includes Airborne School, Sapper Leader Course, Jumpmaster School, Basic Leader’s Course (Distinguished Honor Graduate), Mountain Warfare School, Advanced Leader’s Course (Leadership Award Winner, Commandant’s List), Pathfinder School, Northern Warfare Winter Course, Senior Leaders Course (Commandant’s List), SERE school 215, Joint Engineer Operations, and the United States Army Sergeants Major Course (Commandant’s List).  His civilian education includes a high school diploma from Hammond High School in Hammond, Louisiana, and an Associates of Arts with honors in General Studies from American Military University, and Batchelor of Arts in Leadership and Workforce Development from the USA Command and General Staff College, and a Batchelor of Arts in Homeland Security from American Military University. He has graduated Summa Cum Laude in all degrees.     

SGM Travis’ awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (3rd award), the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal (4th award), the Army Commendation medal with “Valor” devise, the Army Commendation Mead (6th award), the Army Achievement Medal (4th award), the Army Good Conduct Medal (7th award), the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Ribbon with 3 service stars, the Iraq Campaign Medal with 5 Service Stars, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Ribbon, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional development ribbon with numeral “5”, the Army Service Ribbon,, the Overseas Service Ribbon with numeral “6”, and the NATO medal.  His Unit Awards include the Presidential Unit Citation, the Valorous Unit Award (2nd Award), and the Meritorious Unit Citation (2nd Award). SGM Travis has also earned the Combat Action Badge, the Expert Soldier Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Pathfinder Badge, the Sapper Tab, the Drivers Badge, the Canadian Jump wings, and the German Jump wings.

History

History