Dave Dimoff, a history teacher at Hughesville High School, is also a First Class Sergeant and training instructor with the United States Army Reserve. He reports once a month at Fort Indiantown Gap for training and preparation for proficiency.

HUGHESVILLE – A Hughesville High School teacher recently took first place in an instructor competition with the National U.S. Army Reserve. While competing in the 80th Training Command (TASS) Instructor of the Year Competition at Fort Knox, Kentucky on January 6, 2014, Sgt. First Class David Dimoff beat out five other competitors to win the competition.

Dimoff took first place in the enlisted category, and along with the other competitors, taught their classes to a panel of five sergeant majors who judged them on their communication skills, technical and tactical knowledge, appearance and military bearing. The TASS is the third largest command organization in the Reserve. It trains 40,000 soldiers per year.

As a civilian, Dimoff is an instructor with East Lycoming School District. Once a year he is required to go to Fort Pickett, Virginia, the National Guard’s headquarters for a conference where he is a water purification specialist instructor with the 8/80th Quartermaster Battalion, Fort Indiantown Gap. ” I teach classes a minimum of once a year,” he said, “depending on the mission.” He also teaches a class at Fort Dix, NJ.

After graduating from Central Dauphin High School, Dimoff enlisted for active duty in the Army. “I was a 19K Armor Crewman and got stationed in Germany for awhile.” While he was there he took advantage of his love of history and just at 19 years of age, was able to see many parts of Europe absorbing as much culture and art as he could.

He was also deployed to Macedonia for 7 months, an historic region in Greece, where he was able to connect with some of his direct descendants. “I was able to meet my family cousins. It was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed my job as a tank instructor training troops.” He was only 22.

Sgt. 1st Class David Dimoff, a water purification specialist instructor with the National Army Reserve, teaches soldiers how to determine potential hydrogen in a water sample.

After spending 8 and a half years in active duty, Dimoff left in January 2003, then transferred 3 months later in the Active Reserves. As a water specialist, his job is to create drinking water for the troops, distribute it and store potable water. During this time he also attended Penn State University where he obtained a degree in Education with a minor in history and social studies.

In 2009 he completed his Master’s of Science in Education at the University of Scranton, and shortly afterward, he was hired and selected among 85 applicants by East Lycoming School District. Dimoff teaches 9th grade Civics and Government, 10th grade US History Academy, and US Government and Politics to honor students. “This is a great district to work for,” he replied about his job at the high school.

Dimoff hopes to advance to the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command level competition and will compete in the Army Reserve enlisted category. The aim of the competition is to identify and recognize the 80th Training Command’s best instructors. His goal is to become a First Sergeant.

In the meantime, he would also like to pursue a position as a school administrator, perhaps someday achieving the goal of becoming a principal.