The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Texas Lottery Veteran Recognition: Tim Travis
11.25.2020 | Football
Retired First Sergeant to be honored as Texas Football hosts Iowa State.
Tim Travis grew up all over the world, immersed among people, languages and cultures that weren't always just like his own. But he worked to understand and value them all the same.
His ability to communicate by reading non-verbal cues and assessing cultural norms has been instrumental in more than 30 years of public service. Travis retired in 2015 as a First Sergeant in the Texas Army National Guard, and he is preparing to retire in December after serving as a local police officer since 1987.
Though a native Texan, Travis spent much of his adolescent years overseas. His father was an international school administrator, so the family moved often based on the location of those private schools. During an appointment in Cairo, Travis learned Arabic, a skill that came in handy when he was deployed to Iraq in 2002 as a tactical intelligence officer.
"Iraq was not a surprise. It was all second nature to me," Travis said. "I understood the cultural norms and was not shocked or judgmental for norms that are not typical American."
Travis said seeing past those differences allowed him to remain calm and relaxed in a variety of circumstances and get the job done. Once mission assignments were completed, he spent time talking through situations with his soldiers and teammates.
"I did not train them what to think, but how to think," Travis said. A key teaching tool was just explaining to others what he witnessed and observed in a particular environment, and then describing thought processes and assessments.
During his non-traditional childhood in a variety of school settings, Travis said he had little exposure to the military, but always wanted to serve. When he was preparing to graduate from a small-town Colorado high school, he walked into the recruiter's office and signed up.
"It was an easy decision," he said.
Now, since wearing some type of uniform since 1982, so is the next decision. He credits his wife Tammy for patience and faith to survive the stress of multiple deployments and the social, psychological and physical adjustments that come with each one.
They will spend their retirement years on nearly 50 acres outside of Brownwood, where they are building their dream home.