The start of another school year brings both new students and new faculty to BYU. In addition to new business faculty, the Marriott School of Management welcomes three new ROTC faculty members. Read on to meet the men behind the uniforms.
Colonel Timothy J. Hogan is a United States Air Force Officer and the new ROTC Commander for both BYU and UVU. After graduating from the Air Force Academy in 1989, Hogan went to pilot training in Del Rio, Texas, and finished No.4 in his class. He flew a Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, a close-air support attack aircraft, for twenty years and has more than one thousand hours of combat experience in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Hogan is a graduate and former instructor of the United States Fighter Weapons School. He has held various leadership positions, including squadron commander, vice wing commander, and United States Air Forces Europe and Africa Inspector General.
Marriott School: What brought you to BYU?
Col. Timothy J. Hogan: In the Air Force it is necessary to compete for command-level jobs, so I submitted an application for the ROTC commander position. It is an amazing opportunity being able to return to the ROTC and to teach the next generation of leaders. It is a very sought-after job; there were seven schools hiring—including BYU—and applications were narrowed down to fourteen. I was selected for BYU, and I am very humbled and blessed to be here.
MS: What makes you most excited about this position?
TH: To be molding the next generation of leaders. To know that I will be able to contribute to and witness the transformation of a high school student into a college graduate ready to go serve in the Air Force—it is very rewarding!
MS: What are your favorite pastimes?
TH: I loved coaching my children in sports like football, baseball, and basketball as they grew up. I also enjoy bike riding, camping, and fishing. My wife and I are excited to try out the hunting and fishing that Utah has to offer.
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Lieutenant Colonel Forrest V. “Chip” Cook is the new professor of military science at BYU. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1999. In 2004 Cook was deployed to Baghdad, where his paratroopers secured key hostile terrain to pave the way for the nation’s first democratic elections. In 2009 he was deployed to Afghanistan, where his unit’s various responsibilities included training the Afghan local police and Afghan Special Forces. Cook has a master’s degree from Stanford University and taught Russian at the United States Military Academy. He is the recipient of multiple honors, including two Bronze Stars, three Meritorious Service Medals, and four Army Achievement Medals.
Marriott School: What brought you to BYU?
Lt. Col. Forrest V. Cook: Although I had other offers, I chose this route because I believe in the mission of the ROTC and BYU. Our move from Colorado to Utah marks our thirteenth move since my wife and I have been married. We have relatives who live in Utah, and it will be nice to be close to family—something that we have yet to experience since I joined the military.
MS: What will your responsibilities entail?
FC: Our program encompasses BYU, UVU, and SUU. It is my responsibility to oversee all these programs. I need to make sure that curriculum is in accordance with the guidance we have been given and that we are doing the right things to train the cadets not only militarily but also ethically. I am also responsible for producing a certain number of cadets that are certifiably ready for the rank of lieutenant each year.
MS: What was your favorite thing that you did this summer?
FC: I love water sports, and this summer my family and I spent a week out on Lake Powell.
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Major Benjamin L. Snell is a new assistant professor of aerospace studies at BYU. He joined the Air Force in 1994. In June 2002 Snell was commissioned through Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. He has served in Air Force Space Command as an instructor, a Payload System Operator, and an Evaluator for the Global Positioning Satellite System. Snell has served on deployment missions in Panama as well as with the Army on joint assignments in Qatar. Prior to his current position at BYU, Snell was the Division Chief of Distance Learning at Air University in Alabama. He is the recipient of awards and decorations such as the Aerial Achievement Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster.
Marriott School: What brought you to BYU?
Maj. Benjamin L. Snell: I enjoy teaching and being around students who have a passion for learning. Also, my service in the military has not allowed my children to live near cousins and grandparents—so I thought now would be a good time to bring them to Provo, where I grew up, so they could have that opportunity.
MS: What will your responsibilities entail?
BS: The biggest responsibility I have is to teach the fourth-year cadets. It is my job to help them get ready for active duty because after their fourth year they will be commissioned officers. On top of that I will also have other various administrative responsibilities to fulfill.
MS: What is a favorite recent book you have read?
BS: Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek. I read it just before I moved here, and I really enjoyed it. It talks about the responsibilities leaders have to their followers.
To learn more about BYU Army ROTC, click here. To learn more about Detachment 855 Air Force ROTC, click here.