BRENHAM NATIVE, U.S. COLONEL LEADING TROOPS IN EASTERN EUROPE

  

A Brenham native and U.S. Army Colonel is at the helm of a storied brigade that is helping to deter Russian aggression in Europe.

Earlier this summer, Col. Trevor Voelkel assumed command of the 101^st Airborne Division’s 1^st Brigade Combat Team, nicknamed the “Bastogne Brigade” for its exploits and sacrifices at the Belgian city during World War II’s Battle of the Bulge. 

The unit, comprised of 5,000 soldiers, is in the middle of a nine-month overseas deployment and is spread out across Eastern Europe as part of the Army’s efforts to support its allies and reinforce NATO’s eastern flank.  The brigade is the closest U.S. military unit to the conflict in Ukraine, with headquarters less than 65 miles away from Ukraine’s southwestern border. 

Col. Voelkel says he is privileged to lead this team.

A 1998 graduate of Brenham High School, Voelkel graduated in 2003 from Texas A&M University and served in the Corps of Cadets, a family tradition that began with his great grandfather and continued with him and his brothers.  He commissioned into the Army in 2003 as an infantry officer.  His assignments and deployments have taken him to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Germany, and now Romania.  He has served in various leadership and staff positions at the platoon, company and battalion levels, and has earned numerous awards and decorations. 

Col. Voelkel says his experiences over the course of his 20 years in service have been very humbling, giving him the ability to understand the human emotion that goes into war, the connection with one’s fellow soldiers, and the sacrifices that people are willing to make.  He says he is blessed to be able to support Ukraine through military and humanitarian assistance, and while there are no indicators that the brigade will need to become directly involved in the engagement, his team is ready if that day comes.  

Col. Voelkel says he hopes to return to the states at the end of the year and be replaced by another unit at Ukraine’s border.  He looks forward to coming home to Brenham, a place that he says has never lost sight of its roots and its patriotism.