Colonel Travis W. Mills is a Distinguished Military Graduate of Sam Houston State University (SHSU) in Huntsville, Texas, where he was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in 1999 and later branched Special Forces in 2004.
Colonel Mills’ past assignments in the Infantry include Rifle Platoon Leader and Executive Officer for the 1-506th Infantry at Camp Greaves, ROK, and Rifle Platoon Leader and Reconnaissance Platoon Leader with the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Following the Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he served the next eight years with the 1st Special Forces Group at Fort Lewis, Washington, as a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha (SFODA) Commander, Assistant Operations Officer, HSC Commander, Group Plans Officer, Company Commander, and Battalion Executive Officer. Colonel Mills then served as a Plans and Policy Officer at the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Colonel Mills commanded the 2-60th Battalion, 193rd Infantry Regiment (Basic Combat Training) at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. His last assignment before the Fellowship at Texas A&M was with the Special Operations Command – Korea at Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, where he conducted duties within the J3 Operations Directorate.
Colonel Mills’ operational deployments include one tour to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (2004) and two tours to the Southern Philippines in support of Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines (2006, 2008). Additionally, he has conducted multiple joint training exchanges throughout the Indo-Pacific during his time in the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne).
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (2OLC), Army Commendation Medal (1OLC), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal (1OLC), National Defense Service Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal, GWOT-S Medal, GWOT-E Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and Overseas Service Ribbon.
He has been awarded the Army Parachutist’s Badge, Army Air Assault Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, and multiple foreign parachutist badges.
His training and education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advance Courses; the Combined Arms Service and Staff School; Special Forces Qualification Course; Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) C (High Risk); Special Warfare Center and School Indonesian Language Course; USASOC Jumpmaster Course; and the Army Command and General Staff College.
He holds a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from SHSU (1999) and a master’s degree in global and international studies from the University of Kansas (2011).
Colonel Mills is married to the former Lisa Caluwe of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and they have two sons, Taylor (28) and Austin (16).
