While his classmates graduated from the College of Pharmacy in May 2003, Bob Moser, Pharm.D., commanded convoys of U.S. trucks between Kuwaiti ports and troops in Iraq.
A year and a half later, Dr. Moser received his doctor of pharmacy degree at UNMC’s winter commencement ceremonies. After 16 months in Iraq, Dr. Moser had returned to Nebraska in August 2004. This fall, he completed the three rotations needed to earn his degree.
“I was three months away from graduating when I got called up,” said Dr. Moser, a North Bend native. “I had been expecting it. When I started my pediatric rotation with Dr. (Jeff) Baldwin, I told him that I didn’t expect to make it through the entire rotation. I made it through that one, but got called up after the first week of my next rotation.”
So, with a wife and a young son at home in Bellevue, Dr. Moser trained for two months in Missouri before leaving for the Middle East. A 13-year member of the Reserves who had achieved the rank of captain, Dr. Moser’s transportation company was assigned to Camp Cedar, near the Iraqi town of Nasiriyah.
There, he was in charge of missions – using between 20 and 50 trucks – in which troops transported fuel, repair parts, ammunition and other essentials to various locations. Some of the biggest jobs came, Dr. Moser said, when “switching out” combat units.
Originally scheduled to be in Iraq for six months, Dr. Moser’s tour was extended initially to one year and later extended when support was need for an armor division. In all, he spent 16 months – 468 days, to be exact – in the Middle East. Soon after arriving home on Aug. 1, Dr. Moser began completing the rotations necessary for his degree.
“Everyone at the College of Pharmacy was great,” Dr. Moser said. “I just want to say thanks to all of the people there who helped me graduate upon my return.”
Early this year, Dr. Moser moved with his wife, Kristine, and his son, Robert III, to Lincoln, where he accepted a position with Walgreen’s. His family is the main reason that he didn’t remain as a pharmacist in the Reserves.
“I’m absolutely happy,” Dr. Moser said. “I have no ill feelings for being over there. I just think that I’ve been gone long enough. I’ve done my time. It’s now time to be with my family and focus on my career.”