Staff
Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Joshua M. Trulock
Professor of Military Science
Army Reserve Officers Training Corps
Louisiana State University and A&M College
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Phone (225) 578-2122
Email: jtrulo1@lsu.edu / joshua.m.trulock.mil@army.mil
Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Josh Trulock assumed duties as the Professor of Military Science at Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge on June 16, 2023. As the Professor of Military Science, LTC Trulock leads LSU’s mission to select, educate, train, and commission college students to be officers and leaders of character in the Total Army.
LTC Trulock is a native of Clearwater, Florida, and he received a Regular Army commission in November 2006 through the Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning,GA. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition from
the University of Florida. He also holds two master's degrees: the first in Business and Organizational Leadership and the second in Defense and Strategic Studies. His military education includes the Military Police Officer Basic Course, Military Police
Captains Career Course, and the United States Navy War College.
In his 16 years of service to our Nation, LTC Trulock has served in a variety of leadership and staff positions. His previous assignments include: Platoon Leader and Assistant S-3, 93d Military Police Battalion at Fort Bliss, TX; Company Commander,
54th Military Police Company at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA; Small Group Instructor for the Basic Officer Leaders Course and Captains Career Course, U.S. Army Military Police School at Fort Leonard Wood, MO; Operational Protection Planner, USARCENT at Shaw AFB, SC; and Operations Officer and Executive Officer, 759th Military Police Battalion at Fort Carson, CO. Most recently, LTC Trulock served as a Current Operations Officer for the Futures and Concepts Center, Army Futures Command at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA working to plan, integrate, and synchronize the Army’s modernization activities.
LTC Trulock deployed in 2008 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he served as a Platoon Leader in the 978th Military Police Company in support of 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); in 2011 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, where he served as the Company Commander for the 54th Military Police Company in support of 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division and 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division; and in Iraq in 2015 as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, serving as a CJTF-OIR operational protection planner.
LTC Trulock’s awards and decorations include: Bronze Star Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with three Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Achievement Medal with three Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Combat Action Badge.
LTC Trulock is unmarried with no kids and has a black lab mix named Franklin. His hobbies include international travel, exercising, SEC sports, playing beach volleyball, and skiing. He currently resides in Baton Rouge, LA
Captain (CPT) Ariel M. McGuirk
Officer-in-Charge (University of Louisiana-Lafayette)
Assistant Professor of Military Science (LSU)
Office: Brooks Annex 2, Room 204
Phone (337) 262-3358
Email: ariel.mcguirk@louisiana.edu / rotc@louisiana.edu
Born and raised in Lafayette Louisiana, Captain (CPT) McGuirk graduated in 2016 from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a Bachelor of General Studies and commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps into the Air Defense Artillery on 12 May 2016.
CPT McGuirk has served for 9 years as an officer in the active Army in numerous leadership positions that included: Fire Control Platoon Leader(Fort Sill, OK); Fire Direction Center Officer In Charge (Fort Sill, OK); Assistant S3 Current Operations Officer (Fort Bragg, NC); Bravo Battery Commander (Fort Bragg, NC); Headquarters and Headquarters Battery Commander (Fort Bragg, NC); Air Defense Artillery Captain Career Manager (Fort Knox, KY).
CPT McGuirk’s military education includes the Air Defense Artillery Basic Officer Leader Course, Air Defense Artillery Captain’s Career Course, Air Defense Artillery Fire Control Officer Course, and Common Faculty Development-Instructors Course.
CPT McGuirk has been with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette ROTC extension program of the Louisiana State University ROTC Battalion since July 2025.
CPT McGuirk is married to Holly from Hulett, Wyoming.
Mr. Brian L. Spears
Senior Military Science Instructor, Contractor
Team ROTC - CornerBrooke, LLC
University of Louisiana-Lafayette
Office: Brooks Annex 2, Room 204
Phone (337) 262-3365
Email: brian.spears1@louisiana.edu / rotc@louisiana.edu
A native of Crowley, LA, Mr. Brian Spears graduated in 1997 from the University of Southwestern Louisiana with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, and completed USL ROTC training before being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry.
Mr. Spears served for 20 years in the active Army in numerous leadership positions that included: Mechanized Rifle Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, and Brigade Comptroller (Fort Benning); Basic Training Company Executive Officer and Company Commander (Fort Benning, GA); G3 Operations Officer and Rifle Company Commander (Fort Campbell, KY; Mosul and Kirkuk, Iraq); Company and Battalion Observer/Controller (Fort Polk, LA); Battalion Operations Officer and Executive Officer (Fort Campbell, KY and Kandahar, Afghanistan); Foreign Military Advisor (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Division/Corps Staff Observer/Controller and Plans/Operations Chief for Warfighter Exercises at the Mission Command Training Program (Fort Leavenworth, KS).
Mr. Spears’ military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Airborne School, Bradley Leader’s Course, Infantry Captain’s Career Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Ranger School, Air Assault School, and the Command and General Staff College. While on active duty, he also graduated from Webster University with a Master’s in Business Administration.
Mr. Spears has been with the Univeristy of Louisiana at Lafayette ROTC extension program of the Louisiana State University ROTC Battalion since October of 2018.
Mr. Spears retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He and his wife, Jamie Jo, have three children, Lawrence, Emily, and Christopher. The Spears reside right here in Lafayette, LA.