Retired U.S. Navy CDR Brian Q. Gauck is the new Senior Navy Science Instructor at Los Alamos High School. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com
CDR Brian Q. Gauck, left, and CPO Tim Graziani put the finishing touches on the NJROTC classrooms before the first day of classes at Los Alamos High School. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com
Los Alamos High School NJROTC program has a new Senior Naval Science Instructor. He is retired CDR. Brian Q. Gauck who is relocating to Los Alamos from Colorado Springs.
A well-known photographer, Gauck is a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and spends any spare time he has trail riding. For several years he coordinated more than 60 professional PRCA member photographers licensed to photograph PRCA-sanctioned rodeos throughout North America. For the past 10 years he has been a volunteer coach for the Air Force Academy Rodeo Team.
Although he is new to high school level, he has previously taught at middle school level and has been a trainer in one way or another throughout his career. His wife Denise teaches Family Consumer Sciences at Holmes Middle School in Colorado Springs.
“We are doing the forward deployment thing this year. My wife will continue teaching in Colorado Springs for a while because I accepted this job with a very short turnaround and she was already committed to teaching there this year. We are empty nesters so this works for us,” Gauck said.
Gauck said former Los Alamos Principal Brad Parker called him about the LAHS vacancy created by the retirement of LCDR Wes Shumaker. Gauck and Parker found out they both attended Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Fla. He said Parker’s call caught him off guard but he came to Los Alamos to interview and was pleased with what he saw and felt.
Gauck said he and retired U.S. Coast Guard CPO Tim Graziani will share responsibilities for the different NJROTC activities for a while so as to have the most flexibility possible in the program. He said the cadets have expressed a desire to not only attain Distinguished Unit status again this school year, but to be a Distinguished Unit With Academic Honors. He also hopes to bring back more STEM programs this year.
“The dynamic in the unit will be a little different this year. I’d like to invite all students to check us out and I would love to see more young women join us,” Gauck said. “I know it will take a while, but I am really looking forward to getting to know all the cadets individually.”
Gauck said he was excited to see the good turnout of parents at the first Booster Club meeting, adding that parental support translates into student success before and after graduation. He is looking forward to meeting parents during LAHS open house, which is slated for Aug. 30.
“The hardest part right now is that my wife, my horse and my dog are still in Colorado, but having a solid foundation back home allows me to be focused and effective here,” he said.
Gauck said he is already pleased with the dedication and participation shown by cadets who have been showing up at 6 a.m. for drill practice and noted that the freshmen began showing a marked improvement after just one practice.
“I stepped in this morning when a cadet had to leave during practice,” he said. “I really enjoyed it.”
A native of Milan, Ind., Gauck earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Education and a Master’s Degree in Education from Purdue University and is a Doctoral Candidate in Organizational Learning, Performance and Change at Colorado State University.
He completed pilot training at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas and NAS Whiting Field, Fla., earning his Wings of Gold in 1989. He has served in several operational tours at sea, flying from the decks of the USS Forrestal and USS Saratoga. He accumulated more than 1,000 flight hours in military aircraft, serving as Helicopter Aircraft Commander in Sea King and Sea Hawk helicopters participating in Operation Provide Comfort and Operation Enduring Freedom as well as with Battle Group Staff Eight embarked on USS Eisenhower in support of Operation Southern Watch in Iraq.
Gauck has served as the Operations Officer for Joint Task Force Atlantic, Naval Station Great Lakes and the Navy Liaison Officer to North American Aerospace Defense Command, Colorado Springs. He served in the Plans and Policy Directorate as a task lead for Integrated Air and Missile Defense before being selected to lead four Joint Test and Evaluation projects in U. S. Northern Command for maritime domain awareness, maritime threat response, and radio frequency emission, classification and tracking.
His personal decorations include two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, a Joint Service Achievement Medal, three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and various, personal and unit service and campaign medals.
The Gaucks have been sponsor parents for Air Force Academy cadets and Naval Academy Midshipmen since 2003. They have three daughters, one son, three sons-in-law and two grandchildren. All three daughters and one son-in-law serve in the Armed Forces.