While I was in the Army my original job in the mid 90’s was 31r Tropospheric Scatter Communications Systems & Tactical Satellite Networking. Later in 2000 I retrained and changed my job to 91b Combat Medic then later 91w Family Medical Specialist.

While I was a Medic I was assigned to Bravo Battery in a howitzer unit. So my CALL SIGN was “Bravo Doc”. I was in charge of around 85 soldiers healthcare in that unit.

One day while on a field training mission for roughly 30 or so days our Node Center broke down. It is responsible for telling the howitzers where to go and what to shoot at, as well as, all the units communications. So it had to go back up fast. The communications guys (who had my old job) spent 4 hours trying to fix it. One of the communications officers (a 2lt) remembered I used to work in that field so he came and asked for my help. I was certain I couldn’t but came anyway. So I spent a couple minutes asking what they had tried already. Then I went in and checked some circuits and discovered that the digital transmission wire was frayed. I replaced it and viola back to running again in under 30 minutes. It was really a case of the current communications guys not doing a proper preventative maintenance check. So everyone was very happy, specially our Captain and 1st Sergent.

Then the next day I was checking in on the maintenance crew for our vehicles. (still out in the field on same mission) They had been working on an armored troop carrier for 4 days now trying to get it to run. They had just given up and were attempting to start it one last time. I kicked it just as they started it. It ran and everyone was surprised. The 2lt from before was there and saw me kick it. He placed a band aid on the dusty smudge where my foot went and wrote Fixed By Doc…

That was 17 years ago…

When I was searching for a name to use on social media 8 years ago, my wife recalled this picture above and the story. She suggested I use the name FixedByDoc and I did.

Army Pic 2