Major LaFlash is proud to recognize Sergeant Erich McGuffey as our AAPG Soldier of the Quarter, SOTQ, for the third quarter of 2015. Sergeant McGuffey enlisted on May 15 of this year at 3rdID. SGT McGuffey started as many do, a Private Trainee, and worked his way to Private First Class and applied for PAO as a Journalist. As he worked his way through the ranks, he later became an Interviewer in RRO. He not only serves as a soldier in 3rdID, but also is an active duty US Army officer, who truly shows and shares his knowledge of the Army in everything that he does. He sets a great example for all soldiers to follow.   

Why did you join 3rdID?  My old unit was inactive and I was looking for a solid unit and saw 3rdID as a solid fit. I saw they were a realism unit and was curious because I didn’t know what it meant until I checked out the forums. I decided to try it out, enlisted, and became a committed member of the unit and never looked back.  

What is your favorite aspect of the unit? The dedicated training time used to hone individual and collective skills such as the squad drills and FTXs.    

Any favorite memory that has stuck with you? Attending and graduating Airborne School, it was an unique and memorable experience. The custom made map by 1LT A. Cantu included a Powerpoint presentation through an in game classroom, the jump tower, and a C130 to jump out of. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be able to participate in such training as a part of AAPG.  

Tell us a little about your DMOS work. My first one was being a Journalist in PAO, and recently I joined RRO as an interviewer. In PAO, I’m not very tech savvy so all the imagery, documentation, podcasts, etc… are beyond me. However, I enjoy writing, so when there is a writing requirement I try to jump. In RRO I was just recently trained as an interviewer. The main reason I became an interviewer was that I saw there was a need for more interviewers since those attempting to enlist weren’t being processed in a timely fashion. I joined to alleviate some of these issues.    

Any advice to give to your fellow soldiers?  Get involved in the Unit. Everyone should join a DMOS, and take the initiative by volunteering your services. Every member of the Unit should give something back to the organization that trains you and provides a structured environment where you have hours upon hours of fun. Even if you do not have the time to commit to a DMOS you can always donate for server, TS, and web operations. 
 
What army value is the most important to you and why?  Integrity is absolutely imperative to building trust and teamwork within the unit. It is also the building block for the other values. 

What motivates you?  I am an active duty Army Captain that is intent on providing insight into the military to those within the unit. In order to teach and mentor others within the unit, I have to increase my influence by striving for leadership positions within the Unit. Currently, I am a Team Leader but I have my eyes set on becoming a Squad Leader in the future.  

Any valuable lessons you have learned while being in the unit?  The most valuable lesson I have learned while a part of 3rd ID is patience. There are times when events or other people frustrate you but you have to re-check your azimuth and realize that this is a game and is designed for fun. Also, the diversity within 3rd ID is outstanding.