Major Ty B Kopke

Biography

Major Ty Kopke enlisted in the Marine Corps on December  11, 1992 and shipped to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island in August of 1993 for recruit training.  He graduated from Company M, 3^rd Recruit Training Battalion on November 22, 1993.  After attending Marine Combat Training at Camp Geiger PFC Kopke attended MOS school at Ft. Lee, VA.  His first duty assignment was with Engineer Maintenance Company, 3^rd Maintenance Battalion, 3^rd FSSG in Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan from April 1994 until June 1996.  Sergeant Kopke was selected for the Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) and transferred to the NROTC unit at the University of Oklahoma.  Sergeant Kopke earned an undergraduate degree in Construction Science and was commissioned a second lieutenant on May 5^th, 2000. 

Second Lieutenant Kopke graduated from The Basic School with Company E in January 2001.  He then attended the Aircraft Maintenance Officer course at NAS Pensacola, FL graduating in May of the same year.  His first duty assignment was with MALS-29 at MCAS New River, NC as the Ground Support Equipment Officer.  He then was transferred to HML/A-269 for duties as the Maintenance Material Control Officer where he served a combat deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom until July 2003.  He then finished his flying squadron tour and returned to MALS-29 for duties as the Airframes Division Officer, Aviation Life Support Systems Division Officer, and the Assistant Aircraft Maintenance Officer.

First Lieutenant Kopke then requested orders to MCRD Parris Island for duties as a series officer.  He returned to Company M, 3^rd Recruit Training Battalion where he served 4 cycles as a Series Commander before being selected to be the Assistant Director of Drill Instructor School.  Captain Kopke served 2 years at Drill Instructor School before transferring to MALS-31 at MCAS Beaufort.  He filled the billet as Assistant Aircraft Maintenance Officer and was an Individual Augment for both a Military Transition Team and for Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa as the Global Force Manager.

Captain Kopke was then selected and assumed his current duties as the Marine Officer Instructor (MOI) at the NROTC unit at the University of Texas in June of 2010. He teaches Evolution of Warfare and Amphibious Warfare courses.