ROTC At Florida TechForging Leaders In Paradise

Lieutenant Colonel James (Jimmy) Crook first joined the Army in 1993 as an Enlisted Soldier in the medical field. After six years of active duty he was awarded an ROTC Scholarship and was commissioned as an Adjutant General Officer in 2004 from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. He has served in US Army NATO, 82d Airborne Division, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and the United States Army Special Operations Command. He holds a Bachelor's of Science in Communications from Florida Southern College, Master's of Human Relations from The University of Oklahoma, and a Master's of Professional Studies in Legislative Affairs from The George Washington University. As a Congressional Fellow, he served on Capitol Hill for the Chair of the Tactical Air and Land Subcommittee and as the Legislative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. He has deployed multiple times in support of combat operations to both Iraq and Afghanistan.

MSG Alan Roche enlisted as an Infantryman in 2004, and was assigned as a Rifleman in E Company, 629^th MI Bn (LRS), 29^th ID and later as a Rifleman and Assistant Machine Gunner in B Company, 1/67 AR, 2BCT, 4^th ID.  He passed Special Forces Assessment and Selection in 2007 and graduated as an Engineer Sergeant in 2009.  Following graduation, he was assigned to 5^th Special Forces Group (Airborne), and served as an Engineer Sergeant, Senior Engineer Sergeant, and Intelligence Sergeant in 2^nd Battalion, as an Intelligence Sergeant in 4^th Battalion, as well as Company Operations Sergeant, Detachment Operations Sergeant, and S3 Operations Sergeant in 3^rd Battalion.  Throughout his military service, MSG Roche deployed multiple times to SOUTHCOM and CENTCOM, including combat operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.

MSG Roche’s awards and decorations include: Bronze Star (3OLC), Meritorious Service Medal (1OLC), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal (1OLC), Army Achievement Medal (1SOLC), Army Good Conduct Medal (5^th Award),  Operation Enduring Freedom Campaign Ribbon (1 Campaign Star), Operation Iraqi Freedom Campaign Ribbon (2 Campaign Stars), Operation Inherent Resolve Campaign Ribbon (2 Campaign Stars), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal (M Device), Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (4^th Award), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon, NATO ISAF Medal, Meritorious Unit Citation  Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Senior Parachutist Wings, Air Assault Wings, Italian Parachutist Wings, and Chilean Parachutist Wings.

MSG Roche’s military education include Common Faculty Development-Instructor Course, Advanced Situational Awareness Course, ARSOF Senior NCO Fundamentals Course, Special Forces Sniper Course (Level 2), USASOC Static Line Jumpmaster Course, Master Mountaineering Course, FRIES/SPIES Master Course, Special Forces Intelligence Sergeant Course, Senior Mountaineering Course, Ranger School, Special Forces Qualification Course, SERE, Long Range Marksmanship Course, Airborne Course, Air Assault School, and all levels of NCO Professional Development up to the Master Leader Course.  MSG Roche holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.

MSG Roche is married to his beautiful wife, Sarah, and is father to Micah and Kimberly.

SFC Johnson enlisted as a Fire Support Specialist in 2006, completing Basic and Advanced Individual training at Fort Sill, OK. SFC Johnson’s duty assignments include Schofield Barracks, HI, Ft. Stewart,  GA, and Ft. Drum, NY.

SFC Johnson has served in numerous leadership positions including Forward Observer, Fire Support Noncommissioned Officer (Company, Battalion, and Brigade), Targeting NCO, Jungle Operations Instructor, Platoon Sergeant, and Operations Sergeant. SFC Johnson on has deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and twice in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

SFC Johnson’s awards and decorations include: Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (5th Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Achievement Medal (2nd Oak Leaf Cluster), Presidential Unit Citation, Army Good Conduct Medal (5th Award), Nation Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal (2 Campaign Stars), Iraq Campaign Medal (3 Campaign Stars), Global War on Terrorism Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (3rd Award), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, (5th Award), NATO Defense Medal, Combat Action Badge, Air Assault Badge, Basic Military Mountaineering Badge (Ram's Head Device), French Commando Badge and the Brazilian Jungle Fighter Badge.

SFC Johnson’s additional military training includes the Jungle Operations Training Course, the Foundational Instructor and Facilitator Course, Joint Firepower Controllers Course, and the Joint Fires Observer Course.

SFC Johnson has been married to his wife Seirra Johnson since 2006, and they have been blessed with two children: Hunter and Heidi Johnson.

Tiffany Dolan joined our team as the Administrative Assistant in August 2017. She is an Army veteran who enlisted in April of 2013, attending basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Tiffany was stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, with the 25th Infantry Division as a Human Resource Specialist. While working here at Florida Institute of Technology, she began her BA in Business Administration, specializing in Marketing and Management. Tiffany married her husband Don in 2017, who is currently Active Duty in the Navy.

Mr. Kem Noble joined the team as the Supply Technician in September of 2015. He began his career in the U.S. Army in September of 1979. After attending basic training at Ft. Jackson, SC, and Advance Individual Training at Ft. Lee, VA, Mr. Noble's first duty station was in Frankfort, Germany, where he spent two and a half years. He was deployed doing Operation Desert Storm/Shield. As a GS employee, Mr. Noble has held several positions in the logistics field. Mr. Noble decided to retire in 2004 after spending twenty-four years in the army.

Mr. Ken Harris enlisted in the US Navy in 1982.  After some time at sea he attended and graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1989, completing 4 years of Active Duty aboard a new destroyer.  Reorienting his goals, he enlisted in the Army National Guard in Hawaii, where they set him on the path of commissioning again through OCS.  After a dozen years in the Guard, he transitioned to the US Army Reserve.  Army Assignments have included Military Intelligence, Ordnance (Maintenance), Logistics, Engineering, Instructing and Information Operations.  Concurrent with his military career, he joined the ROTC Team in 2005 at FAU, worked in Boston from 2015-2020, and added himself to Panther Battalion’s Cadre roster in August ’20.  He deployed twice, Iraq during OIF I  from 2003-2004, and Joint Task Force GTMO (Guantanamo) from 2011-2012.  He is a proud husband to Silviane and father to Leonardo.

Dana Washington joined our team as the Human Resource Assistant in April 2014. She began her career in the U. S. Army as a Personnel Management Specialist, and also deployed to Desert Storm/Shield. After 10 years of service and receiving her honorable discharge, she held several positions in the civilian human resources sector until 2004, when she became the Human Resource Assistant for the Army ROTC program at Florida Southern College (FSC). While working at FSC, she received her BA in Human Resources Management. She is a Florida native, who now makes her home in West Melbourne with her son Malik, who is also an Army veteran and attending Florida Institute of Technology, majoring in Mechanical Engineering and his wife Simone. She also has a daughter, Adara, whose husband Jeremy is currently serving in the U. S. Army at Ft. Stewart, GA.