Engineering, ROTC professors deployed to Iraq war
By KEVIN ALLEN
News Writer
University engineering professor Jeffrey Talley, a member of the Army Corps of Engineers Reserves, was deployed to the Middle East in early February. The second-year professor, who is affiliated with the Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences, was called up for training in December of last year, prior to his recent U.S. departure.
Talley, an Army Reserve lieutenant colonel, is currently in Iraq with the 416th Engineering Command. Peter Burns, chairman of the department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences, said that Talley has not disclosed his exact location in Iraq.
"Since the beginning of the war, his e-mails have been sporadic," said Burns. "But he has checked in with us so we know he's okay."
Burns said he has no knowledge of a faculty member in the College of Engineering ever having to temporarily leave the University for military service.
The Army Corps of Engineers, Burns said, is most likely working to build bridges for the advancing U.S. and British forces and securing infrastructure for troops and for Iraqi citizens. Assuming U.S. and British forces are victorious, he said, the Corps will probably also play a part in reconstruction efforts at the conclusion of the war.
He added that with the threat of chemical and biological weapons being used by the Iraqi military, Talley's expertise in environmental engineering may become even more important in the war effort.
Three professors in the Army ROTC program have also been recently deployed. Two are in the Middle East to support the ongoing operation in Iraq. The other is a civil affairs officer in a reserve unit that was sent to Kosovo as part of a peace-keeping mission. Army ROTC Lt. Col. David Mosinski said he was not at liberty to release the names of the three ROTC professors, nor the locations where they are now stationed.
With the departure of these three professors, only two remained to in the Army ROTC department.
Mosinski said the deployed professors had to leave quickly, but the remaining two have made a smooth transition.
"They are experienced instructors and they enthusiastically took on the extra workloads and each picked up extra classes," said Mosinski. "They did a tremendous job and we didn't miss a beat."
The department was short-handed for about five weeks until two temporary instructors joined the department last week. An adjunct professor has been hired to teach Talley's class this semester, as well.
None of the professors in the Navy or Air Force ROTC programs have been deployed for duty. Students participating in ROTC cannot be deployed because they are contracted with the ROTC program.
All News Stories for Friday, March 28, 2003
