Lieutenant Col. Jeffrey "Jeff" Kocian is a native of Houston, Texas and is the Commander of the Allied Forces South Battalion, U.S. Army NATO Brigade. He attended Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band and the Army ROTC program. He was subsequently commissioned in December 2007 into the United States Army as a second lieutenant in the Adjutant General’s Corps and assigned to Fort Drum, New York.
Upon assignment to the 10th Mountain Division, Kocian served as a Human Resources Operations Officer and Battalion S1/Adjutant for 10th Sustainment Brigade Troops Battalion, with a deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
After graduating from the Adjutant General Captain’s Career Course in 2011, Lt. Col. Kocian was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. There, he served as both Battalion S1 and G1 Advisor - Security Forces Advise and Assist Team in the 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team with a deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Upon return, he briefly served as the 4th Brigade Combat Team S1.
In 2014, Lt. Col. Kocian was assigned to the 120th Adjutant General Battalion (Reception) at Fort Jackson, South Carolina where he served as Battalion S3, Company Commander - Reception Holding Unit, and then Company Commander - Delta (Reception Operations) Company.
After 22 months of command, Lt. Col. Kocian was assigned to Allied Forces South Battalion, U.S. Army NATO Brigade in Naples, Italy where he took command of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company and shortly after assumed duties as the Battalion Executive Officer.
In 2017, Lt. Col. Kocian was selected for the Army’s Congressional Fellowship Program where he moved to the National Capital Region to pursue a master’s degree and served as a Defense Fellow for Sen. Lindsey Graham in 2018. Kocian completed a two-year utilization tour as a Legislative Liaison in the Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison and the Army’s Congressional Budget Liaison Office.
After Lt. Col. Kocian’s participation in the Congressional Fellowship and in 2021, he transitioned to serve as the Regimental S-1 for the storied 2nd Cavalry Regiment at Rose Barracks, Germany. Upon conclusion of his time as an S-1 in 2023, he completed a three-year assignment as an Inspector General for the 25th Infantry Division and U.S. Army Hawaii where he was recognized in 2025 as the U.S. Army Inspector General Officer of the Year.
Lt. Col. Kocian’s military education includes Airborne School, the Adjutant General’s Basic Officer Leadership and Captain’s Career Courses, the Company Commander Course, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the Inspector General School. Kocian has earned a Master’s Degree in Legislative Affairs from the George Washington University, a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management from Webster University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Health from Texas A&M University.
Lt. Col. Kocian’s military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Afghanistan Campaign Medal (1 Campaign Star), Iraqi Campaign Medal (2 Campaign Stars), the NATO medal, Basic Parachutist Badge and the Adjutant General Corps’ Benjamin Harrison Medal.
Lt. Col. Kocian resides in Italy with his wife and their two daughters. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling with his family, snorkeling and woodworking.