SSG Travis pollard

Staff Sergeant Travis Pollard is an IT professional and lifelong educator who serves in the 36th Infantry Division Band as a saxophone and flute player. He is currently an IT Support Trainer with Nuvitek, supporting IT services at the US Department of Labor. Prior to transitioning into the IT field, he served for 20 years as a music educator, most recently as the Band Director and Fine Arts Chair at Brentwood Christian School in Austin, Texas.

SSG Pollard enlisted in the Army National Guard in 2005 and joined the 36th Infantry Division Band in 2007, where he has held roles as Squad Leader and Music Ensemble Leader. His military honors include the Finley R. Hamilton Outstanding Military Musician Award (2024) and the US Army School of Music Peer Mentor Award (2022). He was also named the TAPPS Fine Arts Teacher of the Year in 2023.

He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Tennessee Technological University in 2003 and a Master’s in Music and Human Learning from The University of Texas at Austin in 2007. He also holds IT certifications in networking, security, and cloud services.

Travis lives in Austin with his wife Amanda and their two children, Judah and Caroline. He enjoys reading, playing chess, training for triathlons, and making music with his friends.