Twins Vince and Vance Moss, Penn State alumni who are now both surgeons and members of the U.S. Army Reserve, were selected on Friday, Feb. 8, as the "Persons of the Week" on ABC World News.
The Moss brothers, who graduated from Penn State in 1994 with science degrees, were recognized on the nationally televised nightly news program for their efforts to offer medical treatment, entirely at their own cost, to Afghan civilians during their off-duty time.
The Mosses explained their story during the news segment: "We decided to pitch a mission to the State Department and the Department of Defense about us going out there and taking care of that severe need," said Vince. "We are a land of rules, regulations and policies," added Vance. "What my brother and I had planned and pitched was against all of those. So it was very easy to say no and, in fact, it was very easy to say this mission that you are planning is a suicide mission."
The news segment narration continued, "So it's no surprise that the Moss brothers wouldn't take no for an answer. They hired their own intelligence and security, bought their own medical supplies, chartered their own plane and left for Afghanistan. 'We'd walk the streets or the hallways of hospitals, and they'd be chanting this "Doganagy, Doganagy!" and come to find out later that to them it meant "same-faced healer," ' said Vance."
Read a transcript of the entire segment here.
Last week the brothers returned to active duty, this time in Iraq, on the condition that they be given permission from the U.S. State Department to continue their off-duty humanitarian medical service.
Last month the Moss twins were honored at the 16th Annual Trumpet Awards, alongside 10 additional honorees including Halle Berry, Danny Glover, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and several leaders in business, the arts and the legal profession.
The Trumpet Awards were created "to herald the accomplishments of Black Americans who have succeeded against immense odds," according to the Trumpet Foundation's Web site.