Meet the Cadre - University of Houston
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For questions about joining ROTC or scholarships please contact our Admission Officers at 713-743-3883.

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Melissa Comiskey 

Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army

Department Chair and Professor of Military Science 
3875 Holman Street, Rm 14, Houston, TX 77204-6014
Phone: 713-743-3875

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Melissa Comiskey was born in Woodward, Oklahoma, but calls Texas home.  She is a graduate of Texas A&M University, commissioning as a Second Lieutenant in the Adjutant General Branch in August 2004. Her initial assignment upon completion of the Adjutant General Officer Basic Course and Postal Operations Course was in Stuttgart, Germany as a postal platoon leader from 2005-2007.

As the Army transformed to a modular force, she was called to serve as the Battalion Human Resources Officer (S-1) in 2007 for 3-158th Assault Helicopter Battalion, moving to Ansbach, Germany.  Within four months of her arrival to the unit, she deployed to Iraq for 15 months, assigned to Balad, Taji and BIAP, Iraq.

Upon redeployment from Iraq, LTC Comiskey moved to Mons, Belgium to serve as the Alpha Company Commander, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) Battalion, USANATO Brigade for two years.  In 2011, she was selected to serve as an instructor at the Adjutant General School, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, teaching the Basic Officer Leaders Course and Captains Career Course.  She moved to Maxwell Alabama in 2014 to attend the Air Command and Staff College, where she earned a Master’s Degree in Military Arts and Science. 

After graduating from the Air Command and Staff College in Maxwell, Alabama, LTC Comiskey moved to Fort Hood, Texas, serving two years as the Brigade Human Resources Officer (S-1) for the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, deploying with the unit to the Republic of Korea for nine months.  She was then selected to serve as the 1st Cavalry Division Deputy Human Resources Officer (G-1) and later the Executive Officer for the 1st Cavalry Division Commanding General.

In May 2019, LTC Comiskey began work in the Pentagon with the Army G-1, Directorate of Military Personnel Management serving as the Chief, Command Policy, and then Chief, Distribution Branch for Enlisted Personnel Policy.  In 2022, she was selected for and now serves as the Department Chair and Professor of Military Science at the University of Houston, supporting seven colleges and universities in the Greater Houston area. 

LTC Comiskey holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science from Texas A&M University and Masters of Military Arts and Sciences Degree from the Air University.  Her awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Overseas Service Medal with the numeral four, and the Army Staff Badge.  She was also part of a great team that earned the Meritorious Unit Citation. 

Lieutenant Colonel Melissa Comiskey is married to Lieutenant Colonel Todd Bradford of Heber Springs, Arkansas, and together they have four great kids.

 

 

Eduardo Olvera

Major, U.S. Army

Assistant Professor of Military Science
3875 Holman Street, Rm 28, Houston, TX 77204-6014
Phone: 713-743-1997

 

MAJ Eduardo Olvera is a native of Houston, TX.  He enlisted in the Air Force in June 2001 and completed Air Force Basic Training at Lackland Air Force Base, TX.  After earning his bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston, he attended the Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Armor Corps in October 2008.

 

Upon graduation from the Armor Basic Officer Leader Course in Fort Knox, KY, MAJ Olvera was assigned as a Platoon Leader in C Co,1-30 IN, 2 HBCT, 3 ID at Ft. Stewart, GA.  During his time as Platoon Leader, he deployed to Kirkuk, Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn.  Upon redeployment, MAJ Olvera was then assigned as the Executive Officer for B Co, 1-13 IN, 193rd IN BDE at Fort Jackson, SC.  He subsequently served as 1-13 IN’s Operations Officer and was then selected to serve as the Company Commander for F Co, 3-60 IN, 193rd IN BDE. Upon relinquishing Command, MAJ Olvera transferred to the Adjutant General Corps.  He served as the Battalion S1 for 1-6 IN, 2 ABCT, 1 AD at Fort Bliss, TX and later served as the S1 for the Army’s newest Service Component Command (ASCC), United States Army Africa (USARAF) located in Vicenza, Italy.  MAJ Olvera was then selected to serve as the S1 for 1-25 Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Ft. Wainwright, AK, supporting over 4,400 Soldiers across seven battalions in an OCONUS based SBCT. Currently, MAJ Olvera serves as the Assistant Professor of Military Science at the Houston Battalion ROTC Department located at the University of Houston, Houston, TX.

 

MAJ Olvera holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Houston.  His military education includes Officer Candidate School, Basic Officer Leader Course II, Armor Basic Officer Leader Course, Army Reconnaissance Course, Adjutant General Captains Career Course, Company Commander and First Sergeant Course, Brigade S1 Operations Course, Force Management Course, Support Operations Course, and Intermediate Level Education Common Core.

 

MAJ Olvera’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal (2 OLC), Army Commendation Medal (3 OLC), Army Achievement Medal (4 OLC), Air Force Achievement Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Combat Action Badge, and Expert Soldier Badge. MAJ Olvera has also been awarded the Order of St. Maurice from the National Infantry Association, the Order of St. George from the US Armor Association, and Adjutant General Achievement Medal from the Adjutant General Corps Regimental Association.

Cpt. Kim

Joshua Kim

Captain, Texas Army National Guard

Assistant Professor of Military Science
3875 Holman Street, Rm 18, Houston, TX 77204-6014

 

CPT Joshua Kim was born in Englewood, Colorado and was raised in Southern California and Missouri. He graduated from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Special Education Cross Categorical K-12, Liberty University in 2023 with a Master in Business Administration, and CompTIA’s Security+ certification. He enlisted in the Army Reserves in 2011 as a 12N, Horizontal Construction Engineer, and received his Officer commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program as a Signal Corps Officer in 2015.

 

Upon graduation from the Signal Corps Basic Officer Leader Course in Fort Gordon, GA, his first duty assignment was with Charlie Company, 35th Infantry Division as a Platoon Leader from May 2015 to Dec 2018. During his time as a Platoon Leader, he was deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait in support of Operation Spartan Shield. After mobilization, he completed an Interstate Transfer to the Texas Army National Guard. He was then assigned to 3-144th Infantry Regiment, “Fourth Texas”, as the Battalion S6 OIC from Jan 2019 to Apr 2020. During this time, he also served on ADOS orders with the Texas Military Department J6 as a Plans and Policy Officer from Sept 2019 to Feb 2020. After a successful assignment as a Battalion S6 OIC with the 3-144th Infantry Regiment and Plans and Policy Officer with the J6, he was later assigned with the 136th Expeditionary Signal Battalion as the Assistant S3 Officer from Apr 2020 to Aug 2022. During his time as the Assistant S3 Officer, he was deployed again to Camp Buehring, Kuwait and Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar in support of Operation Spartan Shield. CPT Kim currently serves as the Company Commander for Charlie Company, 172nd Brigade Engineer Battalion for the Texas Military Department.

 

His military education includes the Signal Officer Basic Course, the Signal Captain Career Course, the SHARP Foundation Course as a Victim Advocate, Management Client Course, Defense Support of Civil Authorities Course, Casualty Notification Officer/Casualty Assistance Officer Course, Common Facilty Development – Instructor Course, Equal Opportunity Leader, Technical Transportation of HAZMAT, and Combat Lifesaver Course.

 

His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal (2 OLC), the Army Achievement Medal (1 OLC), the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Global Ware on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/M Device, the Army Service Ribbon, the Army Overseas Service Ribbon, the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (Gold), the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (1 OLC), the Missouri National Guard Basic Training Ribbon, the Texas Federal Service Medal, and the Texas Faithful Service Medal.

Smoot

Aubrey Smoot

Captain, U.S Army Reserves

Assistant Professor of Military Science
3875 Holman Street, Rm 18, Houston, TX 77204-6014

 

 

 

Cpt. Kim

Alex Dietrich

Captain, U.S Army

General Raymond E. Cavazos Intern
3875 Holman, Rm 26, Houston, TX 77204-6014

 

CPT Dietrich commissioned as an Infantry Officer from the United States Military Academy with a degree in Business Management. He attended Ranger School, Airborne School, and completed IBOLC at Fort Benning, GA before being assigned to 2-327 IN “No Slack” at Fort Campbell, KY. He held the positions of Rifle Platoon Leader and Heavy Weapons Platoon Leader before being assigned to the University of Houston as the General Cavazos Hispanic Recruiting Intern.

nelson

Arnishkia Nelson

Captain, U.S Army

 
Moen

Janssen Moen

Sergeant First Class, U.S Army

Military Science Instructor
3875 Holman Street, Rm 13, Houston, TX 77204-6014

 

gatlin

Jasmine Gatlin

Staff Sergeant, U.S Army

 

Mr. Jose Quijas

Recruiting Operations Officer

3875 Holman, Rm 26, Houston, TX 77204-6014

Email: jaquijas@central.uh.edu

 

Mr. Shawn Chase

Mr. Shawn Chase

Supply Tech
3875 Holman, Rm 28
Houston, TX 77204-6014
Phone: 713-743-3878

Ms. Audrey Smith

Human Resources Assistant
3875 Holman, Rm 28
Houston, TX 77204-6014
Phone: 713-743-3881

Mr. Roland Thomas

Assistant Academic Admission/Enrollment Officer
3875 Holman, Rm 26
Houston, TX 77204-6014
Phone: 713-743-4954 

armyrotc@uh.edu