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Rules of Success: Work Hard, Stick to Integrity

Buhrkuhl Receives Distinguished Alumni Award

By Mike Greife

A lengthy list of titles and a wall full of awards can't begin to describe Robert Buhrkuhl. He's earned accolades throughout his dual career in the military and civil service, and now's he added another, 2009 University of Central Missouri Distinguished Alumnus. When asked to cite his major achievements, Buhrkuhl lists four. "Being asked to oversee the development of the Comanche helicopter project was a great experience," he says. "It was a wonderful experience in government. We were given the latitude to be creative in our jobs." He left civil service briefly in the 1980s to join Texas Instruments in setting up that program.

He also lists the opportunity to work as director of management of the Special Operations and Logistics Center with the U.S. Special Operations Command in Florida in the mid 1990s. He helped create the acquisitions systems used today in all branches of the service to develop new weapons systems.

He points to being named the first director of the Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell, formed in 2004 to expedite trillions of dollars in critical supplies to front-line troops in the fight against terrorism. A survivor of 9-11, Buhrkuhl is passionate about his dedication to provide soldiers with the tools they need. He was working at the Pentagon when it was attacked and recalls vividly the destruction and panic, but he is proud of the fact that he and his unit were back at work the next day.

There's also his post, equivalent to a two-star general, as director of financial management and comptroller of the U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base. He was responsible for 150 employees, five subordinate command comptroller organizations, $8.4 billion in funding, and a broad range of missions that included preparing, submitting and defending budget submissions and analyzing command funding.

Recently retired from the position, he says, "Starting that center was a challenge, but it was rewarding. Setting up a center financially can involve politics, and there are those who may object to the change in the power structure."

For all his civil and military career success - four decades that included two years of active duty and 21 years in the Army Reserves where he attained the rank of colonel - Buhrkuhl credits UCM for preparing him with strong basics.

He followed his brother, Tom, to UCM in the late 1960s. The proximity to his hometown of Slater, MO, allowed him to continue to work there on weekends while obtaining the education he wanted. He studied law enforcement, now called criminal justice, and received his bachelor's degree in 1969, the same year the U.S. Army ROTC program started on campus.

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