Over the course of his bachelor’s degree, Charles Moore lived in 13 different countries.
Juggling his online coursework and his work with the Air Force, TSgt. Moore criss-crossed time zones and continents, studying in the United States, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Austria and Turkey, where he’s stationed now.
Add to that being Cub Scout den leader for son Connor and supporting his wife, Jenny, as she finished her Ph.D.—well, it’s been a busy few years for the Moore family, with no sign of letting up. It starts with Moore leaving his family in Germany while he spends the next year stationed at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey.
For the technical sergeant, who has been active-duty military for 16 years, NAU’s online program in applied science-logistic and supply chain management was a good fit as he began looking into bachelor degree programs that he could work toward while stationed at various bases throughout the world. NAU’s program is one of the top logistics programs and was military-friendly, with tuition assistance fully covering his classes.
So Moore became a Lumberjack. He graduates Friday as a Gold Axe recipient having already put his studies into use in his day-to-day work.
“I’ve had the opportunity to use process improvement techniques, change management and negotiating skills to save the U.S. Air Force thousands of dollars, which I would have been incapable of achieving without the skills brought forth and honed in coursework from NAU,” he said.
He’s hopeful what he learned in his coursework will help him be a better teacher and come up with better methods for the next generation of service members who will in turn continue to make the U.S. Air Force the most elite force of its kind.
The best part of his experience, he said, was bonding with a team of four students who had several of the same classes as Moore. They grew close through their coursework and became friends. Despite the distance, he also built relationships with faculty, including NAU Yuma clinical professor Jerry Wellman, who had Moore for several classes but got to know him well in the final semester.
“That was when I learned more about how full his life is with family, career, volunteering and his own educational progress,” Wellman said. “His coursework was always of the highest quality—demonstrating learning but also demonstrating insight and an ability to quickly see practical applications for what he was learning.”
At the end of the semester, Moore joined a student team for the Innovation Challenge Project, a competition to develop innovative logistics solutions using blockchain technology. Wellman was the adviser for the team and saw the significance of Moore’s contributions. Moore is still working with his teammates through next semester even though he’s graduated.
Of course, he’ll have to work that into more schoolwork. Moore is starting the MBA program at Western Illinois University in the spring.
Heidi Toth | NAU Communications
(928) 523-8737 | heidi.toth@nau.edu