The last time Bridgeport High School alum C.R. Rohrbough was written about on Connect-Bridgeport was way back in 2012. At that time, Rohrbough was ranked as one of the top players in the “40 for 40” series of the best 40 players over the last 40 years in school history.

 

Rohrbough, who finished third for those wondering, talked a little bit more than about his football career which actually ended as a two-year starter for NAIA power Georgetown in Kentucky. Anyone that knows Rohrbough knew football was simply and end to a means.

 

It got him an education. And it put him on a career path of helping others he first told me about back when he was a senior in high school in 2002. It involved a somewhat detailed path that had him helping others in medicine.

 

Considering Rohrbough just got back from Africa after spending some work and medical study time on Mount Kilimanjaro, it appears as if he’s doing quite well in meeting his own expectations. To say I’m not the least bit surprised would be an understatement as Rohrbough, as a student and now as a 35-year-old man, is one of the finest human beings I’ve ever encountered.

 

Before getting to what he’s doing today, a quick rewind back to that college part. Rohrbough graduated from Georgetown in 2006 with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. He then went to West Virginia University and attended medical school and became a doctor.

 

It’s only fair to mention Rohrbough’s appearance at WVU came with an added commitment. During his senior year at Georgetown, he joined the military so that his medical education would be paid for and also allow him to eventually work overseas, which is still a goal post military.

 

Rohrbough graduated from WVU in 2010 with a medical doctorate degree. He had no financial debt thanks the Army’s Health Professional Scholarship program, but did have a commitment for military service through 2017, which included four years of residency at a military hospital in Tacoma, Washington.

 

For those good with simple math, 2017 is long gone. Yet, Rohrbough is still in the military. I found that out when his mother Lora Rohrbough – another saint – showed me the photo you see here of her son at a recent Bridgeport-Robert C. Byrd basketball game. 

 

Of course, my interest was engaged and I decided to give C.R. a call. I still had his cell phone number from 2012 on my phone and expecting to hear a good story I got exactly what I wanted and expected.

 

“The one thing that changed was after I met my obligation of seven years to the military I decided to stay longer,” said Rohrbough. “I’ve enjoyed the opportunities I’ve had, truly enjoyed it, so I decided there was no need to rush out.”

 

Rohrbough is involved now with the Wilderness Medical Fellowship through the Army. It’s a one-year program, he said, designed to give you exposure to and knowledge of how to handle medical emergencies and situations in remote locations and extreme conditions.

 

“I’ve learned scuba diving medicine. I’ve done various types of climbing and I’ll be doing ice climbing in Vermont to learn how to treat someone in that environment,” said Rohrbough.  “Kilimanjaro was to learn how to do altitude medicine and we learned swift water rescue and treatment at the National White Water Rafting Center in Charlotte.

 

“Don’t get me wrong, I love the family and military medicine, but this has been a fun year,” he continued. “I haven’t been doing a lot of normal hospital medicine.”

 

Although he’s enjoying the training, the application is serious. Rohrbough said once complete he will have the experience to be utilized on military tours on line units, and special forces in down range areas where medical centers and hospitals aren’t nearby.

 

“The goal is to help soldiers immediately in areas where help isn’t easy to come by and it increases the chance of survival,” said Rohrbough.

 

It’s all part of the whirlwind of activity Rohrbough has had during his military experience. It included the initial stop in Tacoma, a three-year stint in Hawaii, and a two-year residency teaching run in Washington, D.C.

 

“I’ve got to experience the joy of family medicine and what it means to be a doctor prior to this with a mixture of in-patient and out-patient care,” he said. “I’ve delivered babies, dealt with pain management, and even deal with end-of-life care. Family medicine is all encompassing and it is part of my goal.”

 

That goal, as he mentioned back in the early 2000s, is to help those less fortunate. And not necessarily in the continental United States.

“The significant breadth of knowledge I’ve gained will help me to eventually go to third-world countries and help those less fortunate. The more knowledge I have, the better,” said Rohrbough. “The goal hasn’t changed. I just happened to enjoy the Army.”

 

He enjoys it enough to know that he has a big decision to make when his next period is up in 2021.
 

“I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here because once you’re past 10  years, you either decide to stay for the 20 years or get out,” Rohrbough said. “Right now, there’s a possibility I will stay 20. That’s not certain. What is certain is whether I stay or I leave, I still plan on meeting my goal.”

 

Does anyone doubt that? I don’t for a minute. Rohrbough was brought up with his family to assist in places like Haiti and the ability to assist has been entrenched in him like an unknown brand of personal DNA.

 

“It’s not just to go for a week and leave. I want to lead trips, open clinics and longitudinally treat people. You can’t do that in a couple of weeks,” said Rohrbough. “The places I go, before I leave them, I want a structure in place that will assure the welfare of that area will be better for the long term when I leave it.”

 

Wherever he ends up, he’ll likely be with his wife of nine years Tara. It will likely be away from his Olympia, Washington, the place he currently calls home. What isn’t likely is that it’s going to happen.

 

“It’s what I’m supposed to do,” Rohrbough said. “I’m convinced of that.”

 

It’s pretty obvious everyone else that, by now, everyone else should be convinced as well. Well done young man. Well done.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows C.R. Rohrbough at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, while he's shown with his wife Tara in the second photo. At the bottom, Rohrbough is shown with his mother Lora, father Mark and sister Angie Tangari Fowler. All photos courtesy of the Rohrbough family.