Major Troy Oldbury Retires After 21 Years of Service at Gary Job Corps Center
By Anthony Collins
LPR Editor
After more than two decades of shaping the futures of thousands of aspiring corrections officers, Major Troy Oldbury is retiring from his position as Lead Instructor of the Corrections Program at the Gary Job Corps Center.
Major Oldbury began his career in corrections at the Bradshaw State Jail in Henderson, Texas, before joining the Gary Job Corps Center in 2004. At the time, the Corrections Program was still in its infancy. Under his leadership, it has grown into one of the premier corrections training programs in the Job Corps community.
Over the past 21 years, Major Oldbury has trained thousands of cadets who have gone on to serve in law enforcement and corrections agencies across Texas and beyond. Among his notable graduates are Officer Dago Pates, who has served 16 years with the Kyle Police Department; Captain Heather Escalante, now a Corrections Instructor at Gary Job Corps; and PFC Kristian Menchaca, U.S. Army, who was killed in action in Iraq 19 years ago. In honor of PFC Menchaca’s sacrifice, the road in front of the Gary Job Corps Center now bears his name, and the Corrections Program was officially renamed the PFC Kristian Menchaca Training Academy.
Major Oldbury also instilled a strong tradition of community service in his cadets. Under his guidance, they have volunteered and provided support at events such as Circuit of the Americas races, South by Southwest, Q2 Stadium soccer games, Texas State University football games, the Dripping Springs Founder’s Day Festival, the 4th of July Parade, Fiesta Jamaica in Martindale, Sights and Sounds of San Marcos, and Hats Off for Veterans, just a few of the hundreds of events where cadets have contributed their time and skills.
As he moves on to his next chapter, Major Oldbury will bring his experience to the Nixon-Smiley Consolidated Independent School District, where he will serve as an instructor at the DAEP campus.
