SCOTT MERCER:
CLASS OF 1985
Big Bear High SchoolClass of 1985
Big bear lake, CA
SCOTT's Story
Life:
See my Military bio page.
School:
These are the graduation dates of some of my schooling:
JUN 1985: Big Bear High School, Big Bear Lake, CA (Duh)
JAN 1986: Basic Training - Ft. McClellan, AL
APR 1986: Combat Medic Course, Ft. Sam Houston (FSH), TX
AUG 1986: Basic Medical Laboratory Course, FSH, TX
MAY 1988: Primary Leadership Development Course, Ft. Hood, TX
MAY 1990: Advanced Medical Laboratory Course, FSH, TX
MAY 1990: Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course, FSH, TX
DEC 1994: Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer Course, FSH, TX
MAR 1995: Recruiter School, Ft. Benjamin Harrison, IN
SEP 1999: Commander/First Sergeant Course, Vilseck, Germany
JUN 2004: United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, Ft. Bliss, TX
College:
JUN 1993: Bachelor of Science, Medical Technology, Wayland Baptist University, TX
Workplace:
Retired from the United States Army on 01 November, 2016.
Military:
Well, I joined the United States Army on 11 OCT 85 and left for Basic Training on 13 NOV 85. My 8-week Basic Training was spent at lovely Ft. McClellan, AL. An interesting place, Ft. McClellan. - freezing mornings that make your teeth chatter almost out of their sockets; hot, humid afternoons that stain your shirt with the salt of your sweat. A wonderful time that I would never, ever change. I truly hated graduating and leaving.
After graduating from BT in JAN 86, I was off to Ft. Sam Houston, TX for my Advanced Individual Training as a Combat Medic. I graduated medic school at the top of my class and was offered the Basic Medical Laboratory Specialist course as a reward. In AUG 86, and after completing the lab course and officially obtaining two Army specialties, I was assigned to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) at Ft. Sam Houston.
I worked in the BAMC STAT Laboratory from SEP 86 to MAY 89. From there I went back to the Academy of Health Sciences to attend the year-long Advanced Medical Laboratory Technician school. Upon completion, I again was assigned back to BAMC. What can I say? They loved me there!
On 2 AUG 90, Iraq invaded Kuwait, and I was the first in my unit to volunteer to go to the Middle East. Three days later, I was assigned to the 1st Calvary Division's 115th Foward Support Battalion, Ft. Hood, TX. I served seven months in Saudi Arabia and Iraq during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I earned four medals, the Combat Medical Badge for treating our wounded while under enemy fire, and was recommended for the Bronze Star for meritorious achievement. I got to see 150 miles of Saddam's beautiful desert before we were told to return to the Saudi border.
I returned back to the U.S. in APR 91 and continued to work at Ft. Sam until DEC 94. During that time I got married and received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Laboratory Medicine from Wayland Baptist University. Earning my degree was one of the true highlights of my life, since I came into the Army with no way of getting a degr...Expand for more
ee without going into big-time debt. Thanks to Army tuition assistance, my private school degree cost me a mere $2,500 of my own money.
I was selected to be an United States Army Recruiter in DEC 94. I must say that being a recruiter certainly helped me dissolve any public speaking fears that I may have had. Heck, some days I was horse from talking so much. Recruiters have one of the toughest jobs in the Army, and I am glad to say that I kicked butt at it. I helped a lot of fine young men and women realize their dreams.
After recruiting, I was assigned in 1997 to work at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC), in Germany. Living in Germany for three years was awesome. Europe, in general, was a blast. My family and I traveled throughout the continent, spending most of our time in Germany, France, Austria, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and even some time in the Canary Islands off of Morroco.
After serving in Germany, I was assigned back to San Antonio, my old stomping grounds. I worked at BAMC as the Chief Clinical Laboratory Supervisor. In JAN 04, I attended the Sergeants Major Academy in sunny El Paso. On 01 MAR 04, I was promoted to the Army's highest enlisted paygrade of Sergeant Major, and upon promotion was one of only seven laboratory Sergeants Major in the entire Army.
I then served as the 9th Area Medical Laboratory Sergeant Major on Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD until I got assigned back to LRMC, Germany in the summer of 2006. We left Germany in 2010 and moved back to Ft. Sam Houston and stayed there until I submitted my retirement papers this year. Thirty-one years is long enough, and I physically feel like I have played 10 years in the NBA (I hurt everywhere). I leave the Army as the most senior Sergeant Major in the entire medical field of 35,000 plus Soldiers with 12 1/2 years time in rank, so it is time for this old Soldier to just fade away. I think that it was always in my heart to be a Soldier, even when I was a child. I'm just glad that I was given this great honor to serve, and for so long.
I have been married to my wife now or over 28 years, and we had three wonderful children together. Our oldest son graduated from Duke University with a B.S. in Biology/Chemistry in 2017 and is now attending the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. Our youngest son is a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh, where he eventually plans to major get his Masters in Speech Pathology. As for our only daughter, she is now an Angel who is forever 15 years old. She fought a valiant 3 1/2 year battle against bone cancer, but tragically died on 15 April 2014. She was absolutely the love of my life. Please remember that every single second that you spend with your children is so precious.
God bless you and yours, God bless the President in all of his tough and sometimes unpopular decisions, and God bless the United States of America. Take care.
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