Veteran of the Week: Harry Hobbs
Dr. Harry Hobbs (Contributed)
Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Madison.
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By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer
MADISON – Having been an Eagle Scout and transfixed with the military life as a child, Harry Hobbs made it a point to follow through on his desires, and he did just that after he graduated from high school in 1978, enlisting in the United States Army and beginning a long and illustrious career.
“I knew that, ‘I’m going to help defend our country,’ and I was blessed enough to do that,” Hobbs said.
Hobbs went to basic training in Fort Sill, Okla. It wasn’t long until Hobbs settled into what would be his calling with the Army as a warrant officer, going through warrant officer basic course and eventually warrant officer advanced course and warrant officer staff course.
In his Army career, Hobbs has been an instructor at every level of the warrant office education system. He received a promotion in 1987 to sergeant first class and became a missile systems technician at Fort Hood, Texas.
After his assignment in Fort Hood, Hobbs was deployed to the Middle East in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm as part of the 3rd Infantry Division in the 26th Support Battalion.
Hobbs was awarded the Bronze Star for his time overseas.
Hobbs also served an assignment in Germany and in 1992 was shifted to Fort Rucker, Alabama, to train warrant officer candidates; he went back to Germany for another assignment in 1995.
Making it all the way to chief warrant officer 5, Hobbs retired from active duty in 2007, taking a position at Columbia High School in Huntsville as the school’s JROTC instructor, marking Hobbs’ busy life post-active duty.
In 2010 Hobbs accepted a position with the Huntsville Police Department, where he continued to work with at-risk youth in low-income homes. Hobbs earned the Man of Distinction award in 2012 and was selected as the Veteran of the Year by the Rotary Club of Madison in 2012. In 2013 he was inducted into the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps Hall of Fame.
Hobbs has two daughters, who have both been involved with the Army, and two grandchildren.
“If I was a wagering man, I’d say I’d have a grandchild in the military someday,” Hobbs said.
