Professor of Military Science at Colorado State Universityretires; New Department Head Appointed

After 25 years of service in the U.S. Army, Lieutenant Colonel Jan Bertholf retired from his assignment as professor and department head at Colorado State University’s department of military science. Lieutenant Colonel Mark Taylor stepped in as the new department head.

Bertholf served for four years as professor in the department of military science, where he presided over the university’s ROTC unit. During his 25-year career with the Army, Bertholf was assigned to a variety of positions in air assault, mechanized and airborne divisions. Schooled as one of the first joint staff officers, he served as an operations officer in Belgium during the Cold War’s climax. Bertholf later planned and coordinated the strategic deployment of four divisions for Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Prior to Colorado State, he was assigned to a Department of Defense task force as the operations and plans chief, executing over 1,000 counterdrug operations along the southwest border of the United States.

Bertholf is currently active in Fort Collins Rotary, Gideon’s International, Boy Scout Troop 90, Faith Evangelical Free Church and the Retired Officers’ Association.

Bertholf’s invitation-only retirement ceremony will take place Sept. 5 at 3 p.m. at the University Club in the Lory Student Center on campus.

In July, Colorado State President Albert Yates and General Stuart Wallace appointed Taylor as Bertholf’s successor. Prior to his appointment, Taylor served with several engineer battalions and completed two assignments to Korea. Taylor holds a master’s degree in education from the University of South Carolina and a bachelor’s degree in biology from The Citadel. In his new position, Taylor will teach and coordinate the ROTC program at Colorado State.