NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University honored the service of Sergeant First Class Jonathan Meziere and Captain Kip Cochran during the Nov. 18 football game. The two were special guests, serving as honorary captains and performing the coin toss prior to NSU’s match-up with Stephen F. Austin University.
Meziere is an NSU alumnus who served a total of 26 years in the Navy and Army before his retirement in 2015. He was a 19 Delta, Scout and Operations NCO. His final assignment was here in his hometown of Natchitoches with Alpha Troop, 2nd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment.
A combat veteran, Meziere served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom Four and Five. He is now the Director of the Animal Control Division for the City of Natchitoches. He was joined today by his wife Josephine and children Jalada and Jonathan.
With 19 years of Army service, Cochran, is an Armor Officer and Observer / Controller / Trainer with Operations Group, Task Force 4, JRTC and Fort Polk. He deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan, for a total of 34 months of combat service. A native Louisianan, Captain Cochran is from Mooringsport and an NSU alumnus. He participated in TKE Fraternity before graduating and commissioning through NSU’s ROTC program in 2012. Joining him were his wife April and children Alise and Edward; his parents, Kenny and Kaye Cochran and niece and nephew, Kennedy and Landon Hall.