During his 37 years in the service — he was in the Inactive Ready Reserve for two years — the artillery specialist had tours all over the United States and overseas including Fort Bragg, Fort Jackson, S.C., Fort Riley, Kan., Fort Lewis, Wash., Fort Sill, Okla., and Fort Hood, Texas; as well as three tours took him to Germany, Afghanistan and numerous other locations.

“I wouldn’t take nothing for the experience,” Morman said Friday in a phone interview The Pee Dee Post.

Morman retired with countless commendations, including multiple Meritorious Service Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Medal and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. He also earned the driver’s badge for regular and track vehicles and the German marksmanship badge. “My favorite one is my Drill Sergeant identification badge,” Morman said. “Looking back on my career, that was the best time I had.” Morman worked as a Basic Training drill instructor at Fort Jackson from October 1985 to October 1988.

Early on in his career, Morman entered into the Non-Commissioned Officers Education System and graduated from all required military schools — including the Sergeant Majors Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas. Though he was not promoted to the rank of sergeant major, he did serve as a battalion-level operations sergeant major.

While stationed at Fort Bragg and Fort Jackson in the late 1970s and early 1980s, he spent his off-duty time working as a mobile disc jockey playing clubs and events in Richmond and surrounding counties. He became a very popular and well known as DJ “CRAZ-Z-O,” releasing the song “The Carolina Rapper.”

Morman now spends his time promoting shows and events as a concert promoter and works as the house manager at McMahon Auditorium in Lawton. He said he will always call Rockingham “home” and will always be a soldier for life.