After 24 years of service in the United States Army, Lt. Col. Thomas Jefferson (T.J.) Menn relinquished command of the 1st Battalion 223rd Aviation Regiment at Fort Novosel, Ala., on Wednesday, June 18. The following day, after 24 years of service in the United States Army, Menn was honored at his retirement ceremony, surrounded by friends and family.
Lt. Col. Menn is from Carthage, the son of Robert and Jane Menn, and the grandson of the late Tom and Jo Menn, and the late Irvin and Maribeth Jefferson. He graduated from Carthage High School in 2001 and the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2005 with a bachelor°®¶¹app degree in political science. He immediately commissioned as a 2LT in the Aviation branch.
LTC Menn reported to Fort Rucker, Ala., for Initial Entry Rotary Wing training in July, and married Jennifer (Shogren) that winter. After graduation in 2006, the couple moved to Savannah, Ga. Following a 15-month deployment to Iraq, he and Jenn welcomed foster children into their home for the first time.
In the spring of 2009, LTC Menn favorably assessed into the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). After finishing the Engineer Captain°®¶¹app Career Course, he completed Green Platoon at Ft. Campbell, Ky. They returned to Savannah with 3/160 SOAR (Abn) in the fall of 2010, where LTC Menn served as an A/S-3 and flight platoon leader.
Following graduate school in 2015, TJ and Jenn moved to West Point, N.Y., where LTC Menn taught economics in the social sciences department. The couple welcomed foster children into their home and authored a book entitled °®¶¹appFaith to Foster.°®¶¹app In 2018, LTC Menn assumed duties as the Operations Officer for the Special Operations Aviation Training Battalion (SOATB) at Ft. Campbell, and remained there for his command of B/SOATB in 2021. After changing command, the family moved to Hawaii, where LTC Menn served as the speechwriter for the USINDOPACOM CDR.
LTC Menn is qualified in the UH-60A/L Blackhawk, MH-47G and CH-47D/F Chinook, as well as the MH-6M Little Bird. LTC Menn has served multiple overseas tours.
LTC Menn and his wife, Jenn, have three daughters, Reba, Amorina, and Gloria, and one son, Moses. LTC Menn plans to attend law school this fall.