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Airmen meet up 20 years later

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Elliott Sprehe
  • 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  It's been more than 20 years since Master Sgt. Darrell Harris, 27th Special Operations Mission Support Squadron, and Tech. Sgt. Jarvis Moore, 712th Maintenance Squadron (Provisional), became friends during basic training and technical school. 

It took an assignment to Cannon for them to renew their friendship. The two Airmen sat down recently to reminisce about their Basic Military Training experience. 

"I'm not going to graduate because the Air Force doesn't want me," said the sergeants in unison as they laughed as they recalled a comedic moment from BMT. 

Both sergeants enlisted in late July 1986 into the 3702nd Basic Military Training Squadron, Lackland AFB, Texas, and also attended Sheppard AFB, Texas, for technical training. After that, though, their paths would not cross again until both became stationed here. 

They ran across each other by chance when they were in the Military Personnel Flight office here. 

"I saw this guy just staring at me," said Sergeant Harris. "We just looked at each other for about 10 seconds and I said, 'Moore?' and he said, 'Harris?'" 

That initial conversation took place about a year ago, but until recently they haven't had the opportunity to sit down and talk about all their experiences in the Air Force. 

They managed to sit down for lunch to talk and prepare for a few games of pingpong, which Sergeant Moore had heard Sergeant Harris played avidly. 

"I haven't played since 1999," said Sergeant Moore, who purchased a brand new paddle to show Sergeant Harris he meant business. 

"I hope they have a return policy on that paddle," responded Sergeant Harris. 

Aside from BMT, technical school and Cannon, the two sergeants haven't been at the same location together at the same time. They were both stationed in Korea at the same time but had been at different duty stations. 

Both of them went through technical school at Sheppard as aircraft maintenance technicians, though Sergeant Harris has been a military training instructor and is currently the career assistance adviser here. 

"Master Sgt. Harris was Master Sgt. Harris from the day he joined," said Sergeant Moore, referring to Sergeant Harris' go-to, get-it-done attitude. 

"(Sergeant) Moore hasn't changed a bit," said Sergeant Harris. "He's always been the person to help out other people and I've never seen him upset or mad." 

"I just think it's incredible that two people can start their Air Force careers together, not see each other for 20 years, then come here to Cannon," said Sergeant Harris. 

Though he plans to retire within the next couple years, Sergeant Moore, an F-16 Fighting Falcon maintenance technician, is moving to Luke AFB, Ariz., this summer.
After he retires he plans to just relax and play the bass guitar at local venues, something he loves doing and has actively done for years. 

Sergeant Harris plans to retire sometime in the next two years and said he will spend more time with his family. 

Though more than 20 years has passed since their first meeting at the start of their careers, they ended up here when their careers serving in the Air Force are coming to an end. 

They both vowed to send out invitations to each others' retirement, and they did finally find some time to just converse and play a few more games of pingpong, though both will tell you the other was the loser. 

In secret, though, they'll admit that both of them are the real winners.