Lieutenant Colonel Pete Rakowsky earned his BS in Geology from SES in 2000 and his MEng in GIS from the University of Colorado in 2009. Pete is now Commander of an Ohio Army National Guard Engineer training battalion that trains combat engineer, horizontal construction, and vertical construction military occupational specialties. Simultaneously, he is the Operations Division Chief in the headquarters of the Ohio Army National Guard.
Contact: prakenvoy@gmail.com
Where has your degree taken you?
I have had many experiences as an Army Engineer officer. Some highlights most related to my education in geology include:
- Numerous projects during Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2004) including:
- River bank improvement for the longest float bridge ever constructed in combat
- Road construction and repair in extremely austere environments
- Proof of concept construction of an Army field expedient UAV air strip
- Facilitated training for and advised the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force
- Advised Serbian Army Engineers
How do you feel your experience, specifically as an SES/geology student at OSU, prepared you for your career or life in general?
- Mental discipline
- Resiliency
- Working independently and in groups in austere environments
What is your favorite memory as a student?
Field Camp…including rattle snakes, vultures and a giant moose.
What advice do you have for current and future students?
As a student and future professional, commit yourself to:
- Physical fitness
- Resilience
- Intellectual growth
- Dependability
- Excellence