New ROTC commander begins service term

Lt. Col. Tim Hoch was named the new commander of IU Army ROTC in June, bringing 21 years of army service experience to the program.  

He was commissioned from West Point in 1996 and went on to serve operational deployments overseas in Kuwait, command a heavy cavalry troop as a captain in Korea, and serve in Iraq as a combat adviser to the Iraqi army, among other assignments around the world.

Hoch, whose full title is Commander and Professor of Military Science, said his background and the frequent change of duties throughout his career have prepared him for the transition to this three-year position.

Hoch said he is already impressed by the academic and physical caliber of students in the ROTC program.

“We’ve already got the bar set pretty high, I’m just pushing it a little bit higher,” Hoch said.

He took over the role upon his predecessor Lt. Colonel Michael Ogden’s rotation completion as commander.

Hoch said he feels welcomed by the IU community. Alumni have offered to return to help, he said, and academic programs have offered resources.

Benjamin Krebs, IU senior and cadet battalion commander for the IU Army ROTC battalion, said his job is to take Hoch’s vision for the cadets and implement it. Krebs said IU Army ROTC cadets stand out because of the caliber of their leadership.

“When we have cadre and leadership come in with that kind of experience and knowledge, that’s what makes the difference between a good program and a great program,” Krebs said.

The IU Army ROTC program, which is run as both an academic department and an army unit, has consistently ranked among the top Army ROTC programs in the nation since it was started in 1840.

Hoch said he aims to help the program remain one of the premier programs in the nation. He said he does not plan to make any significant changes to the program during his term.

“I’m walking into a great situation,” Hoch said. “My predecessor, Mike Ogden, has done a tremendous job with the program, which has a well-established reputation.”
Hoch credits the success of this program both to his predecessors and to the strength of its cadets.

Krebs said he joined IU ROTC because he wanted to try something new and
challenging.

“At the end of four years when everyone else graduates and starts looking for a job, you know that you will commission as an officer in the United States Army and get to lead men and women,” Krebs said.

Hoch said the cadets have chosen to develop themselves “personally and professionally, for probably the most challenging and rigorous profession that is out there.”

He said this position at IU is a dream assignment.

“I would like to leave this organization and this program stronger and better than I found it,” said Hoch. “Your legacy as a leader is how you impact future leaders.”

Follow reporter Rachel Rapp on Twitter @Rachrapp517.