Health and safety officer retires after years of dedicated service Published April 17, 2012 By Master Sgt. James Branch 94th Airlift Wing Public Affairs DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- Master Sgt. Hilda Elaine Moses, 94th Civil Engineer Squadron health and safety officer, celebrated 23 years of dedicated service to the U.S. Air Force during a retirement ceremony April 14. The ceremony was officiated by Lt. Col. Christopher Whitehead, 94th Mission Support Group deputy commander and former 94th CES commander, and was attended by a number of distinguished visitors, Airmen, family and friends. "Looking back at Moses' career, she can be summed up in one word... tough," said Col. Tim Tarchick, 94th Airlift Wing commander. Moses began her military career in 1988, enlisting with the Texas Army National Guard, 949th Charlie Co., Grand Prairie, Texas. After completing basic training at Fort Dix, N.J., she completed technical training as a behavioral science specialist. She later re-trained as an electrician in Wichita Falls, Texas. "When I hired Moses I thought to myself, what unit could better use an Airman trained in behavioral science than Civil Engineering?" Whitehead said jokingly as he highlighted Moses' career. In 1996, Sergeant Moses was selected as a member of a security team for the 1996 Olympic Games decided to relocate to Atlanta. She joined the 94th CES Civil Engineering Flight as a firefighter, completing fire school at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. Despite her "ripe old" age of 35, she graduated 2nd in her class. "Moses exemplifies a can-do attitude in the face of adversity," said Whitehead. "Her courage and passion helps bring out the full potential of others." Moses has supported a number of military operations in Osan, Korea, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Oman, Kuwait and Iraq. In 2004, she was selected as the manager and lead fire protection instructor for the Expeditionary Combat Support Training and Certification Center, where she remained until 2010. In Feb. 2010, she returned to the Health and Safety Office, 94th CEF until her retirement, Feb. 2012. "Moses didn't do all of this alone," said Tarchick. "She had family, Airmen and friends like you all who stood behind her throughout her career." Moses holds a Master of Science degree in Public Safety Leadership from Mercer University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and an Associate of Applied Science degree from the Community College of the Air Force in Fire Science. She is currently in the dissertation phase of her doctoral candidacy.
