Veteran to be inducted into ROTC Hall of Fame
Thursday, October 31, 2019 3:00 PM
People and Society, Milestones, News, Alumni
Pittsburg, KS
Tim Senecaut's desire to serve his nation began in childhood. On Saturday, he’ll be inducted into the PSU ROTC Hall of Fame in recognition for nearly 29 years of service.
The ceremony will be held during halftime of PSU’s annual Military Appreciation Day football game at Carnie Smith Stadium.
“I'm extremely honored to be selected for the Hall of Fame,” said Senecaut, who directs the PSU Physical Plant Services and Landscape Maintenance staffs. “I know some of the officers previously selected, and they have distinguished careers. I feel privileged to join them.”
Senecaut comes from a family of veterans; his father, Richard, served as did six of his uncles. Four served at the same time during World War II in the Pacific Theater, and one of the four, Uncle Paul, retired as a Chief Warrant Officer 4 after 30 years of service.
“I remember growing up and periodically hearing all of them talk about their service and just knew it was something I wanted or needed to do,” he said. “My Grandpa Peak also served, so we've been ‘playing soldier' for quite a while,” he said.
Senecaut credits several officers and non-commissioned officers who mentored him throughout his career.
“Without them, this wouldn't have been possible,” he said.
A 1989 alumnus of PSU’s Construction Engineering Technology program and a distinguished graduate of the PSU ROTC program, he also serves as the newly installed advisor to the PSU Student Veterans Organization, assisting veterans transitioning to an academic setting and emphasizing “service after service” with campus and community volunteer projects and activities. He is a member of the PSU Veterans Memorial Advisory Committee.
Senecaut's military experience includes serving as Deputy Commander of the 176th Engineer Brigade in Texas; as Commander of Task Force Roughneck in Northern Afghanistan, responsible for Route Clearance, Construction, and training Afghan Engineers; as Commander of the 111th Engineer Battalion; as Director of Facilities for the Texas National Guard; as Executive Officer of the 235th Regiment; as a Senior Analyst for the Department of the Army's Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management, Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Division; as Facility Management Branch Chief for the National Guard Bureau's Installations Division; as the Facility Engineer of the Battle Command Training Center; as Commander of the 242nd Engineer Company; and as an Engineer Platoon Leader in the 299th Engineer Battalion during the First Gulf War in Iraq, responsible for clearing bunkers and capturing and processing enemy prisoners of war and destroying Iraq military assets.
Awards include Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Staff Identification Badge for service at the Pentagon, the US Army Engineer Regiment's Bronze deFleury Medal, and the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency in Gold.
He’s also been active as a volunteer in the community as part of civic organizations, including Colonial Fox Theatre Foundation, SAE Baja, and the PSU Alumni Association, as well as volunteering at the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy.
On campus, he is a member of the Commencement Committee, the Critical Incident and Crisis Response Team, the Facility Master Planning Committee, the Sustainability Committee, the Move-In Crew, and is chair of the PSU Parking Committee.
In his personal life, he’s completed 20 marathons including the Boston Marathon, Pikes Peak Marathon, Inaugural Army Marathon, Inaugural Air Force Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, and Blue Angel/Navy Marathon; has three daughters, Aimee, Emily, and Elizabeth, a granddaughter, Ariana, and a grandson, Wyatt.