Department Staff

LTC Jeff Kurka
Professor of Military Science

Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey T. Kurka joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard out of Platteville High School in 1985 and earned his commission and degree in Political Science and Education at Marquette University. He attended the Field Artillery Officer Basic and Officer Advanced Courses as well as Command and General Staff College, and has served in a variety of positions in the Wisconsin Army National Guard. By training he is a teacher who has taught grade school, High School, and the College Level for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He earned his Master’s Degree in Public Affairs from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lieutenant Colonel Kurka served as the full time Officer in Charge of the Wisconsin Military Academy prior to being assigned as the Professor of Military Science at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

MAJ (Ret) Robert Kehoe
Executive Officer

Major Kehoe enlisted in the Army after completing high school in Chicago. He then earned a commission from the New Mexico Military Institute and transferred to the Wisconsin Army National Guard as an Armor officer. After serving in a variety of junior officer assignments, Major Kehoe accepted successive company commands of an M1 Abrams Tank Company, a Tank Battalion Headquarters Company, and an Infantry Brigade Headquarters Company. More recently Major Kehoe served as the Operations Officer for TF 1-128 during OIF III and as a Plans Officer in State Emergency Management. He received his Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Wisconsin Madison. Major Kehoe resides in Plover with his wife and two sons.

1LT Josh Beyerl
Scholarship and Enrollment Officer

First Lieutenant Josh Beyerl enlisted in the Wisconsin Army National Guard in February of 2002 as a 21B, combat engineer. While attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison he joined the Army ROTC program and received his commission in 2005. After graduating from UW-Madison, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Soil Science, Lieutenant Beyerl completed the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Lieutenant Beyerl then served in Yuma, Arizona in support of Operation Jump Start as a Forward Operating Base Mayor in 2006. He returned to Wisconsin in 2007 in order to deploy to Iraq with Echo Troop, 105th CAV where he served as a Platoon Leader. Lieutenant Beyerl is currently a Platoon Leader in the National Guard with Bravo Battery, 1/120th FA and joined the Pointer Battalion in September 2008.

MSG (Ret) Michael Butcher
Senior Military Science Instructor

Master Sergeant Michael Butcher enlisted in the U.S. Army in November, 1983, attended Basic Training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, and graduated as Distinguished Honor Graduate of his Multiple Launch Rocket System Crewmember (MLRS) Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in April of 1984. He has served in CONUS, Germany, Korea, and two combat tours in Kuwait and Iraq. Master Sergeant Butcher was assigned as Battery First Sergeant of Bravo Battery, 2/4th FA. Master Sergeant Butcher deployed his battery to Kuwait in February 2003 to support Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Bravo Battery became the first Land component to fire during OIF and provided continuous fires while moving through over 800 km of enemy territory. Master Sergeant Butcher was assigned to Cadet Command at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point in November, 2003 where he, along with his wife and son, currently reside.

SFC Jason Pond
Military Science Instructor

Sergeant First Class Jason Pond is a native of Prior Lake, Minnesota. He enlisted in the United States Army on January 15th 1995 as an 11B Infantryman. He completed Basic Combat Training at Fort Benning, GA. SFC Pond’s assignments include: Recon Squad Leader, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; Sniper Squad Leader, Fort Campbell, KY; Observer Controller, Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, LA; Military Transition Team NCOIC, Baghdad, Iraq. His operational deployments include 2 deployments to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. His military training includes, PLDC, BNCOC, ANCOC, Air Assault School, Airborne School, Pathfinder School, Ranger School, Joint Air Tactical Operations Course, Military Transition Team Course, and the Joint Search and Rescue Coordinators Course. SFC Pond resides in Rudolph, WI with his son.

SFC Joseph Gano
Recruiting Operations NCO

Sergeant First Class Joseph Gano enlisted in the U.S. Army in September 1994 as an M1 Armor crewman. SFC Gano transferred to the Wisconsin Army National Guard in 1997 where he was assigned as an Abrams Gunner and Tank Commander. SFC Gano was selected for full time National Guard duty in 1999 where he has served in a variety of assignments to include; Recruiting NCO, Brigade Retention NCO and as an Assistant Operations NCO for the 32nd BCT. SFC Gano was re-classed into the Infantry in 2002 and assigned to the Officer Strength Management Team for the Wisconsin Army National Guard. SFC Gano has been attached to University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point since May of 2007 as the Pointer Battalion's Recruiting Operations NCO.

HRA - Ms. Kathy Breseman (L)
Office Manager - Ms. Judy Bushman (R)

Kathy Breseman began working for the Military Science Dept here at UWSP in 1986. She is responsible for preparing all paperwork for cadets once they have committed to contracting with the army.

Judy Bushman graduated from Stevens Point Area Senior High School and worked for a short time at Sentry Insurance. She then attended Mid-State Technical Institute and graduated in 1975 as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She then worked for the Veterans Home in King before coming to work for the university in 1977. She currently lives in Stevens Point with her husband and has two sons, a stepson and a stepdaughter.

MSgt (Ret) David Ratz
Supply Management

Mr. David Ratz entered the US Air Force in 1982 after graduating from high School in Milwaukee and completed his 20 year Air Force career in 2003. Mr. Ratz received his Associates degree in Applied Science-Logistics from the Community College of the Air Force in 1994 and spent the majority of his Air Force career in the logistics field. In 2005, Mr. Ratz became the Army ROTC Logistics Technician at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He is responsible for all supply requirements; cadet uniforms, training aids and equipment.