Reservist professor sells smooties
US: How long have you been teaching at USU?
Messmer: I’ve been at Utah State since 1991. I’m an extension specialist, and I also teach. I also advise graduate students and do research.
US: What made you want to come to USU?
Messmer: The chance to actually teach and do research. I came from North Dakota State University, where my extension appointment did not allow me to do teaching and research. And it was also a chance to deal with other issues. In extension we focus on trying to help our clients – citizens of the state that we work with and citizens of the country to address some of the difficult managing issues.
US: Where are you from originally?
Messmer: I was raised in North Dakota on a small family farm. I’m the second of two brothers. My older brother got the farm, and I volunteered for the draft. And why I volunteered for the draft was because it was a way to pay for school. Vietnam was going on, and in my small community in North Dakota we had five men killed in Vietnam. It’s pretty amazing, considering the community was about less than 1,000 people. It just seemed like something I had to do.
US: Did you go to Vietnam?
Messmer: No. I was made an MP, Military Policeman, a correctional specialist. And then I was sent to Okinawa, where I spent 16 months.
US: Now you’re a major, right?
Messmer: Yes. I got out for several years and then I went back into the National Guard and then the reserves. And then I got a direct commission here a few years ago in 1997 to 98 and immediately became a commander of a medical attachment preventive medicine unit. Now I’m a commander of a medical battalion.
US: What do you have to do with the medicine unit?
Messmer: As a medical commander, you’re ultimately responsible for the training and preparation of the soldiers so they can do their job, their mission. You’re also responsible for recruiting, retention and making sure that the unit has all the equipment it needs to do its job. So essentially you’re the boss. You evaluate personnel, recommend promotions, make sure they are taken care of and paid. If they get in trouble, you make sure they are punished. You make sure that the appropriate correctional action is taken. It’s different than being a dean or a college president because I can actually put my soldiers in jail. You have a little more control over their daily lives.
US: How much time does being a commander take?
Messmer: In my role as an Army commander I am on call 24/7. Last night I had meetings. This weekend I have meetings, and in the next month I will be gone every weekend because of some conferences and some other things that I have to work on. Depending on where you’re at in the guard or reserves, you may just have the one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer. But because of modern technology, because of e-mail, cell phones and Blackberrys, my unit can reach me any time. And they do reach me anytime. It’s no longer one weekend a month and two weeks a year. For most reserves, it’s become more because between battle training assemblies, all of us have to balance that with our chosen careers and any other things we get involved in.
US: I understand that you have a son in Iraq?
Messmer: I have a son that is in Iraq for the second time, yes.
US: How long has he been there?
Messmer: He’s been over there for the second time since October. He went over shortly after I got back. He also went over in August of 2004 and spent the year there.
US: Are you nervous about him being over there?
Messmer: You live it every day. You just live it every day. The thing people need to understand is joining the Army is kind of “buyer beware.” Sure, initially a lot of soldiers got in with the idea that they would have all these education benefits. And then sometimes things change. But there are options. You can leave it. You can get out. I have the ability that I could walk away tomorrow. I’ve put enough time in. But my family is not unlike any other family. There was a decision made, and the reason why we do what we do is because of a sense of duty. I stay in because of the things I think I can contribute whether it’s to new soldiers of citizens that come in. There are things that I can contribute. There are things that I’ve learned.
US: What is your favorite part of being a professor?
Messmer: To see the students grow and to see them change in terms of their abilities to deal with different situations and to become successful. That’s probably the greatest thing about being a university professor and a military commander. You can see that growth. You can pay back some of the people who helped you along the way. Anyone who achieved anything had someone help in the background.
US: You own the Orange Julius in the mall, too. How did you get involved with that?
Messmer: I have five children. My wife and I realized that with their busy lives, we needed something to not only employ them but would also give us the chance to work with them. Growing up I lived on a farm. I worked with my brothers and sisters and father and there was some interaction on the farm that made the farm successful. My wife and I wanted something that could do that – that could employ our children. We could work with them in an atmosphere where we could create work ethic. We looked and looked and lo and behold, we saw an ad in The Herald Journal about the store. We investigated it and thought, “Let’s try it.” For the last five years it has employed our children and their friends. The interesting thing about an Orange Julius business is it’s kind of like the dairy farm without the cows. You always have to be there. There’s always going to be something that goes wrong. When I was deployed everything went wrong. I was deployed to Iraq in 2003, and my wife ran the store for about 15 months.
US: In your free time what do you like to do?
Messmer: I have some friends I like to go hunting with. I’ve taken my son hunting too. I have a daughter who plays soccer in California, and we like to go out there. When I have free time I like to do things with my family like skiing and other things on that line. I also enjoy reading.
US: What animals do you hunt?
Messmer: I’m going to put my family in for big game hunts this year. I’ve taken my daughters small game bird hunting.-mnewbold@cc.usu.edu