In 2010, as the new executive officer for the 836th SAPPER Company in Kingsville, an elite group of combat engineers serving with the Texas Army National Guard, Joseph Meller recognized something special was going on.
“The leadership held their soldiers accountable for what their jobs and tasks were, and I enjoyed being a part of it,” said Meller, a Taylor resident. “I pulled some of the guys together and asked, ‘To what do you attribute having this culture and doing so well?’” The answer? The right leadership, at the right time, said Meller, who recently was promoted from major to lieutenant colonel during a ceremony at Camp Mabry, surrounded by friends and family from Taylor.
“They were taking care of their individuals, caring about their welfare, even their personal life,” added Meller who, with his wife Rhonda has called Taylor home since 2006.
“That is the example of good leadership. And so is the coaching, mentoring and training that they do to the younger soldiers to develop them,” added the newly promoted officer, who was elected as a Taylor Independent School District trustee in 2022.
These days, Meller, who became the commander for the SAPPER company in 2012, still considers himself a student of large organizational leadership.
His insights are drawn from what other soldiers say is a distinguished career that includes numerous commendations, from Expert Infantryman and Combat Action badges to Army Service and Overseas ribbons, the Meritorious Service, Army Commendation, Army Achievement, National Defense Service, Global War on Terrorism and many other medals.
Meller said one of the highlights of his career was serving as the chief of operations for the funeral of President George H.W. Bush.
“I had to leave in the middle of the night to go support that mission,” Meller said. “It was a sad, but it was an honor to be able to support that little part of history.”
Last month, with his wife and three sons by his side at Camp Mabry, The Texas Military Department commemorated Meller’s 24-year career with the promotion.
His service began in 1998 when he enlisted in the Army as a mechanized infantryman at Fort Hood, followed by a deployment to Afghanistan from 200205.
Overseas, he served as a team lead for psychological operations, which he describes as “marketing to drive a wedge between the local population and Taliban.”
“We went and did humanitarian projects, such as putting in wells and donating to women’s shelters, all with the approval of the local provincial government,” he said. “We were responding to their needs.”
After reenlisting, Meller took a job at Camp Mabry with the Texas National Guard in 2006 before enrolling in the Texas Officer Candidate School. He became a commissioned officer in September 2008.
“For my officer career, it has given me the opportunity to go to a lot of different jobs and be in leadership positions, and it has kind of gotten me to where I am today,” said Meller, who works for the National Guard as the director of public works at Camp Mabry and as the operations officer for the 136th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in Round Rock.
Through his officer training, Meller said he learned leadership was more than just: “We are doing this this way because I said so.”
“That does not always work,” Meller said. “Everybody thinks the military is set up that way. That there is a hierarchy. And yes, there is. But there are still personalities that you have to deal with. You still have to get the buy-in from your team to get people to follow you.”
These days, Meller said he feels fortunate he and his wife were able to make their home in Taylor and raise their sons in a school system where they are more than “just a number.”
“I do love Taylor,” he said. “I am all-in Team Ducks.”
Meller said it is an honor to use the skills he has learned through his career to make a difference for the community as part of the Taylor ISD board, where he sees good leadership in action — from Superintendent Devin Padavil, whom he commends for his ability to communicate, to fellow trustees who are also dedicated to serving the community and developing leaders within the district.
“We should continue to develop our principals and our teachers because this is their career field, and it will trickle down,” Meller said. “They develop the students. And it is definitely going in the right direction. A positive direction.”
