Thank you 1SG Willie J. Moss (1942 (?)-1992)

Hey, Top

It’s been a great number of years since I saw you last. I think I was TDY at Anniston Army Depot in AL the last time our paths crossed. I never got the chance now that I’m an NCO to really thank you for what you taught me without even knowing it.

I remember there have been a few times that we’ve talked face to face (with your desk separating us) with not really the best of circumstances causing the meeting. I guess that was part of you teaching me that I am human and I am going to make mistakes—some of pretty good magnitude (I honestly didn’t know that was your truck, 1SG).

I remember the afternoon when you had all of the platoon sergeants down in the leaning rest in front of your office. While chewing them a good one you caught me watching and asking what the hell I was doing. I still remember my answer. “I’m learning that if you’re going to have a bunch of us junior enlisted (we were called lower back then) in the front leaning rest for screwing up, I know now that you’re going to do the same to senior NCOs.”

I also learned that there’s a time to pop the stripes off the collar and just enjoy yourself. I’ve seen it quite a few times at the Gasthaus at Ft. Eustis, and do it a bit myself.

Top, you were the one that basically inspired me to try to get that diamond. It took me 2 OCONUS deployments and a couple of CONUS mobilizations, and if it wasn’t for that damn PT test, I’d probably be running my own ambulance company right now.

I’ve grown a little, Top. I went from being the best forklift operator that the 119th ever had (that kid only beat me by 6 seconds on the course) to being a damn fine medic—with a little bit of grease monkey and recruiter thrown in for good measure.

I ended up being a platoon sergeant for about 3 years right after my 1st Reserve mobilization. I enjoyed it but ex-wife #2 hated the fact that even in the Reserve, it’s a 24/7/365 job. After the 2nd, I ended up being the lead trainer for my unit.

I know that in the time since we last crossed paths and I rendered you your final salute, there has been a “Yoda” to fill in the “Obi-Wan” role you took. Now, I look forward to retirement and hoping that I trained my replacement to take what he was taught and run with it.

Good talking to you again, 1SG

BUSTIN’ LOOSE

The Top 10 things I’d rather do than…

Situation:  Daughter asked me to take her bra shopping.

Answered by saying I’d rather…

10. Walk through Osama’s front door wearing a suicide vest

9. Go into a working house fire wearing a pair of tight bikini briefs ONLY

8. Work in front of the berm at a hot rifle range.

7. Tap dance on a landmine

6. Be the stuntman on the Mayhem commercials.

5. Breakdance on the autobahn

4. Be kicked in the nuts by all 32 starting punters in the NFL

3. Run face first into the spinning tail rotor of a Blackhawk.

2. Go sliding down a sliding board of nothing but double edged razor blades and land in a vat of rubbing ETOH.

1. Stand in the middle USASOC graduation ceremony and call Rangers, Airborne, and SF Soldiers “pussies”.

Yep…that about sums it up

USA EMS Conference part i

Here again, one of the many "part 1" posts I've made here...

So far it's been a great conference here in San Antonio.  I officially consider this my "train up" for EMS Expo in August, especially after having to jump few a few hoops just to get orders to go.


Arrived on Monday afternoon and visited the Alamo--hard to believe that I'm in the HOME of COMBAT MEDIC TRAINING and I have never visited the Alamo (or the Riverwalk) until Monday afternoon.  Although Durty Nelly's provided an evening of entertainment.


Tuesday officially started the conference out with some mandatory classes (I think the folks that put this on have never been to a REAL EMS conference). The only time we could go through the exhibit hall was during lunch and the breaks...but the whole sit and listen to blah blah blah was worth 6 CEUs.


Also found out that if we visit ALL the folks in the exhibit hall that we'd get 2 additional CEUs for the conference (that's 8 so far).  Finished that out today.


Today I went to only one class and finished out the exhibit hall.  I basically got a partial restock for my aid bag just by visiting the exhibitors (very jealous of one of my counterparts who got a CRIC kit--but then again I got a free pelican case yesterday).


Tomorrow I have a light class schedule as I am in full conference mode now.  I might make a trip to the "Tower of the Americas" just to scope it out.




This definitely is NOTHING LIKE EMS Today, FDIC, or (I hope) EMS Expo.