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    EOD technician’s next stop – medical school

    EOD technician's next stop-medical school

    Photo By Clemens Gaines | Staff Sgt. James Kimball and Spc. Elizabeth Kimball were deployed to Afghanistan in...... read more read more

    ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MD, UNITED STATES

    04.10.2017

    Story by Clemens Gaines 

    20th CBRNE Command

    ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - In June, an explosives ordnance disposal technician with the 71st Ordnance Group (EOD) will enter medical school. This is not what you would call a normal transition.

    Sgt. 1st Class James D. Kimball, a career Soldier with more than 10 years of service, wants to both continue serving the Army and honor the memory of his son as a doctor.

    The Telford, Pa., native focused on his goals even during two combat tours (in Iraq and Afghanistan), taking night school courses, and enduring the anguish of a critically ill child.

    “The process for getting into medical school started back in 2011,” Kimball said. “My son, Matthew, was diagnosed with leukemia. With my wife Elizabeth, we spent many months in the hospital, and we worked closely with Matthew's oncologist, Dr. Clinton Carroll. The impact that he had on my family is something that still sticks with me and drives me to continue pursuing my goal.”

    The Kimballs are an Army family. Elizabeth grew up on Fort Campbell where her father served. Joining the Army as a human resources specialist, she separated as a sergeant in July 2011 after Matthew, their only child, got sick.

    In the summer of 2011, Kimball began earning college credits through online and evening college courses at Austin Peay State University in Tenn. “After I earned my Bachelor of Professional Studies degree, I continued to complete the common medical school pre-requisites (biology, chemistry, organic chemistry and physics) at North West Florida State College.” At the time, Kimball was an instructor at the joint service Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal at Eglin AFB, Fla.

    “During this time, Matthew's leukemia resurfaced, and he went through another round of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. Those efforts ultimately failed, and he passed away during the summer of 2015. Losing Matthew helped strengthen my desire to make it into the medical field.”

    A Soldier since August 2006, Kimball is an 89D, an explosive ordnance disposal specialist. With EOD assignments at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and at Fort Carson in Colorado, he demonstrated both technical and leadership skills in a demanding career field as a team member, team leader, platoon sergeant and operations sergeant as he served his two combat deployments. In 2010, his excellence was recognized with selection as the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Command Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. Later, he served for more than three years at the EOD school and was chosen as the 2015 Instructor of the Year. He is currently the Rear Detachment First Sergeant for the 663rd Ordnance Company at Fort Carson.

    "It's tough releasing one of your stellar senior NCOs from your career field to pursue other interests, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to allow Sgt. 1st Class Kimball to go into this unique program and ultimately gain a commission," said Lt. Col. Gregory J. Hirschey, acting commander for the 71st Ordnance Group (EOD). "He has already served the Army with distinction, and I look forward to his success in medical school. We need him to continue serving the Army."

    Once the academic courses were done, Kimball applied to 16 medical schools during the spring of 2016. “One of the schools was the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), host of the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine. I was accepted there, and at Pennsylvania State University and Rutgers. I decided upon USUHS.”

    In June, Kimball will receive a direct commission to second lieutenant and begin the four year medical school program.

    "I love serving alongside the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. I am eager to continue this service in the medical field while providing support to the members in uniform as well as their families."

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 04.10.2017
    Date Posted: 04.10.2017 15:36
    Story ID: 229850
    Location: ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MD, US
    Hometown: TELFORD, PA, US

    Web Views: 1,034
    Downloads: 3

    PUBLIC DOMAIN