Our family very much appreciated being informed of Charlie's death … The IUS family is large. A few, like Charlie, seemed close to real family. Through recent years, he kept me informed about the IUS and his activities. I especially remember his phone call one afternoon after a ceremony on the White House lawn when President Clinton signed the AmeriCorps bill. Charlie expressed regret that Morris could not be there, since he had discussed the idea of AmeriCorps years before President Clinton.

Words cannot describe the major impact Charlie made on the academic community and on the Social Sciences. Not only was he a giant in his field, but a kind and considerate man. He will be missed greatly. I was fortunate in knowing Charlie for many years, not only as my friend, but as an outstanding scholar and academician. I am at a loss for words in responding to his death. I can only say, may God bless Charlie’s memory.

Charlie is not gone. For as long as sociologists study the military, he will be a presence. His conceptualizations and the phrases that he crafted to capture them will continue to help define our research agenda. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” and “institutional and occupational models” are at the core of our professional lexicon. I spent much of my professional life following the path that Charlie helped blaze. The University of Michigan hired me when Charlie left Ann Arbor to join the faculty at Northwestern. I followed him in the leadership of the Research Committee on Armed Forces and Conflict Resolution of the International Sociological Association, and ultimately into the IUS presidency. For forty years, we agreed to disagree on issues ranging from the desirability of military conscription to the impact of gender and sexual orientation on patterns of military service. We agreed on more fundamental issues such as the value of national service. He was also an important role model as a highly productive scholar who cared deeply about quality undergraduate education. Both as a scholar and as a teacher, I am proud to claim that I stood on the shoulders of Charlie Moskos.

I met Charlie Moskos for the first time during the 1987 IUS International Conference in Chicago. I was a graduate student at Loyola University Chicago and had been helping at the IUS Secretariat at the University of Chicago as we prepared for the conference and the passing of the IUS Chairman’s baton from Sam Sarkesian to Charlie. I was certainly aware of Charlie’s stature in our scholarly community and did not expect to warrant a second glance from him even at a distance.

The meeting of the IUS Board and Council was several minutes away and I was pouring myself a cup of coffee. I heard someone say, “Bob.” It was Charlie’s voice but I assumed he was directing his attention to another “Bob.” Then I heard the voice again, looked up, and saw Charlie looking at me. I was flabbergasted. Here was Dr. Charles Moskos approaching me to say hello, which he did with warmth in his voice and his heart. It may sound silly now, but this was a big moment for a graduate research assistant accustomed to a subaltern status. I was flattered, gratified, and humbled all in an instant. It was also only the first of many displays of Charlie’s graciousness that I would witness over the next two decades in personal and professional settings.

Charlie was a very secure man who loved life. He did not talk about himself, allowing his work and actions to speak for themselves. He will remain a giant in our field, our collective memory, and our hearts.

He was “Charlie” to so many of us, with all that means that is beyond words, and we have been honored by having him touch our lives. Without a doubt, we needed him with us longer. Without question, all of us are aware that we were richly blessed to know him and to benefit from his work in military sociology and beyond. Many of us have our deeply personal memories of encounter with this marvelous man. That these fond recollections are so similar regarding Charlie Moskos’s genuineness, his delight in others’ successes, and his support and responsiveness speaks much to the character of the man. I know I always felt I’d gotten the gold ring on the carousel when I met Charlie.

At a conference in October, 2007, he startled me with a question, “Which is more important? Honor or loyalty?” (I later discovered he’d been asking this for a long time.) Still, I answered, “Integrity.” You can well imagine what ensued (yes, I eventually did select one of Charlie’s two options!) The whole time, I wondered what I was doing, having a discussion with a man of his stature and reputation, and yet, as we know, he had a deep, sincere and abiding interest in others’ thoughts and work.

Then, in May, shortly before he passed away, I received an e-mail from him congratulating me on passing my Ph.D. prelims, and asking farsighted questions about a possible dissertation topic we’d discussed at that conference in October 2007– I was astonished not only that he took the time to write to me, but that he recalled that conversation. Classic Charlie.

Loyalty, honor and integrity: thank you, Charlie, for embodying all three.

Charlie was an inspiration to so many people – academics, students, soldiers, the policy community and the wider public. He was a wonderful teacher and never took himself too seriously; he was always able to blend good humour with serious analysis.

Charlie (never Charles!) was an intellectual companion and friend who I shall remember always for his amazing generosity. He used to joke that good theories should always be fit to be put on a page or two, and as with so many of his ideas – at least schematically as with I/O – this was true. However, behind this truth was his commitment to complex and powerful ideas, clearly not just to academics but to the wider world. In doing so, he never forgot the need to talk to soldiers and understand the challenges they faced in a rapidly changing world. He enjoyed with a passion the fieldwork conversations he was able to experience. Last, Charlie was a world scholar not only in terms of the respect and affection with which he was and will always be held, but also because he was always interested in what was happening around this troubled planet that would interest a sociologist of military affairs.

I saw Charlie last at IUS in Chicago, where I gave him a book and he hugged me to say ‘farewell – have a safe trip’. I did not know then it was the last farewell, but I can offer the same to him now – ‘Charlie, have a safe trip’.

The academy has no shortage of powerful intellectual figures who have made a lasting impact on their field. And there is no shortage of colorful individuals who can delight vast crowds. And there are many warm and caring mentors who spot the outsider and care for the individual -- often the junior scholar struggling to find his or her way.

There are precious few who do all three, and I doubt we will see more than a tiny handful who do all of those as well as Charlie did during his remarkable life.

I am struck by how many of us feel the same thing: that we won some sort of lottery because we were singled out for special attention by a great man and given a push forward on our way. Clearly, it says less about us and more about Charlie that such a globally diverse community can share roughly the same anecdote.

I am sad that Charlie won't be there at the next conference, but I am grateful that so many people that he touched will be.

Charles Moskos was my magister, in the classical meaning of the word, from my first introduction in the sociological international arena. In 1987, he was one of the peer reviewers of my first article for Armed Forces and Society; I owe a great debt with him for his comments and questions about my writing. From that time on, I kept him as a reference point for all the research initiatives that I had occasion to take. He honoured me by sending me his new writings and publications, and I did the same to him.

Twenty years of collaboration and exchange of ideas were and are deeply significant for me: I had to wonder at his ability to synthesize concepts, yet his capacity to be concrete in every occasion. His works and publications remain for me as milestones in our common discipline.

I met him last in October 2007, at the Chicago IUS conference and, although aware of his illness, I never thought that he could pass away and passed away so quickly. That news leaves me astonished and saddened.

I was really shocked to hear that our distinguished Professor Charles Moskos has passed away. When Professor Anton Bebler introduced me to Charlie, he accepted me immediately as his friend. I was impressed by his clear and deep thought, but also with his optimistic and inclusive spirit. There are three remarks he made that made me think a lot. First, he claimed that he preferred a good anecdote over a bunch of statistical data (quite challenging for those of us who collect data and practice empirical research almost on a daily basis). Second, he was very much in favor of conscription, even in times when many nations decided to abolish it (rather disturbing for those of us who saw practical problems in manning the armed forces, but perhaps we neglected the true value of conscription that Charlie had in mind). And third, he was teasing me and my Slovenian colleagues by wearing a T-shirt in Baltimore, saying something like, “US citizens, do not be afraid: Slovenia is joining NATO to protect you.”

That was our Charlie; we will all miss him very much. Rest in peace, Charlie. My deepest condolences to Ilca and other members of Charlie's family.

I first heard from Charlie while I was in Vietnam. I had applied for graduate study in Sociology, and received orders to report to the University of Chicago to study under Morris Janowitz. I received a letter from Charlie telling me that Morris' class was full, and enclosing an application to Northwestern. I checked with the Army, and sent in my application and had my orders changed. When I got to Evanston, I called Charlie, who invited me to his home and welcomed my family and me. He immediately included me in his staff of TAs and writing assistants. On one of his visits to the Pentagon, he was asked to head a new research project on race relations, drug abuse and disciplinary problems. He graciously recommended me for the job.

Through the years since, he called when he was in the Washington area. His work was a beacon for all of us to follow. Truly, he was a giant among us!

A great American has left us. Not just a great American, but a great heart. I came to Northwestern University to meet Professor Moskos (as he was then to me as a very young, very impecunious graduate student). Charlie, as he quickly became, swept me up, marched me off to sit at the feet of Morris Janowitz, and invited me to stay at his home with his wife, Ilca, and sons. The following night, he took me out to a boisterous, joyous Greek Restaurant, where of course he knew everyone, and everyone knew him. At the end of the evening, the host came up to me and said, "Charlie told me you were from New Zealand - here is a loaf of just baked bread – it’s the greatest gift that a Greek can give". Well, over the years I have known Charlie, and that's nearly 30, he regularly gave me even greater gifts - gifts of friendship, mentorship, inclusiveness, and just plain good old fashioned care. He was always there ready to write a reference to support me, always sending me notices of jobs he thought might get me to the US, and challenging my potential. He gave me confidence that my ideas and writing have merit and value. He was not only an excellent scholar, and a hugely empathetic interpreter of all aspects of the military, he was a very, very good friend. I will miss him greatly, and this is right, because there is so much to be missed.

I first met Charles Moskos in the early 1970s at an IUS meeting in Chicago. We met again in the late 1970s in connection with the development of a volume on Vietnam veterans. Charlie encouraged me to get involved with the IUS again in the early 1990s. Charlie was always helpful to me, providing encouragement and advice. He gave a lecture for me on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” here at UMass while visiting the Boston area, and was kind enough to recommend me to various forums over the years. I agreed with him that we need nation-building here in the U.S. with a full program of national civic service. If that ever comes to pass, it should be called the Charles Moskos National Civic Service Program.

I first had the privilege of meeting Charlie when I attended my first IUS conference in Baltimore in the mid-1990s. I had found my way into the world of military sociology through collaboration with my old friend Christopher Dandeker on some research on diversity issues.

Charlie, together with David and Mady Segal, was one of the first people Christopher thought I should meet. It was an inspired choice in helping rapidly initiate a rookie into the IUS family.

Despite my early unfamiliarity with some of the key intellectual traditions of military sociology, Charlie never made me feel anything other than someone from whom he had something to learn. He helped me to feel instantly at home, and I have been proud, ever since, to count myself an IUS Fellow.

Charlie was, as others have noted, generous to a fault, his erudition and intellect matched by a sparkling personality and an often impish sense of humour. One of my outstanding memories of him is of a conference at the Royal Military Academy in Breda, the Netherlands. In a break before dinner he decided that he wanted an opportunity to drink ouzo and to speak Greek. He marched a sizable group of fellow delegates, including me, into a Greek restaurant adjoining our hotel. There we all drank successive rounds of ouzo at Charlie’s instigation. Such was his charm, however, that when the time came leave, the restaurant owner would not hear of us paying for the considerable quantity of liquor that we had managed to put away!

As responses to the news of his death make clear, Charlie was one of those rare people who could connect with others across the boundaries that all too often divide us. He will be sorely missed and, for the moment, it is right that we mourn his passing. It is equally important, however, that we cherish his memory and build on his achievements. I have no doubt that, together, we shall find myriad ways of doing so.

We are shocked by the message that Charlie Moskos has passed away!

As many of you pointed out, he was not only an extraordinary scholar, whose theories I used numerous times in seminar sessions with students, but also a very special person.

I recall meeting him for the first time at the 1993 IUS Conference held in Baltimore at that time. We had a panel with Lippert, Kuhlmann, Kohr and others, and Charlie was the presenter of our papers. While I as a junior scientist felt considerably uneasy about my presentation, he was as calm and friendly as can be, and gave me exactly the gentle reassurance that was needed. And that is the way he will always stay in my memory.

In the name of the whole research department, our deepest sympathy goes to Ilca and the whole Moskos family!

Since mid-April, I have worked as a mentor with the Afghan National Army near Mazar-e Sharif in the ISAF mission. I will stay here for a six month tour as a reserve officer. Even though we are prepared for the possibility of casualties and all of us are aware every day how dangerous it may be in this country, reading today the information about Charlie passing away was a big shock for me.

It's hard to find words in these sad hours now. And it reminds me of the days we got a similar e-mail about our good friends and colleagues Lippert and Kuhlmann.

I especially wish Charlie’s family the strength to cope with this loss, and to find new energy to go on with life, holding good memories of a man we will never forget.

I wish we controlled national politics and could name the new GI Bill legislation for Charlie. He always epitomized the citizen GI.

I almost never gasp when I open an email. I did earlier tonight… May Charlie be some place where everyone is as generous, warm, and funny as he.

My heart is saddened with this news of Charlies’s death. I have so many sweet memories of the things he taught me and of our meetings in odd places around America. I will always be proud to have been his friend and to have cooperated on several issues:

• publishing one of his books
• his coming to a conference I led that produced another book
• driving him to Baltimore where I shared in a wonderful evening discussion of Greek-American immigrants with Senator Sarbanes
• cooperating in the IUS
• calling and talking on the telephone

Perhaps the most productive and important influence he had on my life was when I was told by the U.S. Air Force personnel system that I could not be assigned to National Defense University because they were sending me to a "gut wrenching job in the Pentagon." That was killed when Charles threatened to called General Jones, the head of the Air Force.

He was a very unique man -- a humble, friendly genius who made the world better because he shared his often brilliant knowledge and insights. The world is a much less intelligent and kind place without Charlie!

One of the greatest military sociologists of our time, our life member, great friend, and famous teacher, Charles C. Moskos has passed away.

Through the references to the I/O model, postmodern military, “don't ask, don't tell” doctrine, national service, and many other original ideas, he became a part of our everyday scientific vocabulary. From now on, there won't be a chance to discuss and reflect on all these themes with him. We will have to debate and develop them among ourselves, without his kindness and tutorial help. Charlie isn't with us any more, but his ideas will stay and grow. That is our debt to everything we have learnt from Charlie.

We express our condolences for the loss of Professor Charles Moskos, a great colleague and also a dear friend of ours, and remember the many discussions and talks about common interests and military sociology. We met Charles Moskos at an ISA World Congress more than 25 years ago, and immediately he became “Charlie” to us. After then, to speak with him on frequent similar occasions and to write him and work together and exchange views and comments, and of course to dine and joke with him, was always enriching on many levels. Many words can be spent to celebrate his genius, but even more are the feelings and private thoughts that many of us will turn to with nostalgia and fondness. He was a friend more than a colleague, and our friend, dear friend, who we are now mourning.

I am not only shocked but absolutely heart broken after I received the news that our very dear Professor Charles Moskos is no more with us. The tragedy is so shocking that it took me some time to understand what was happening. In the meantime, I received several e-mails from our colleagues from different parts of the world, and I realized how much he was loved and admired by everybody. It is a great loss for his family, for us who always thought to be part of his family, and for military sociology, for which he always stood like a rock with his humble and infectious smile. He attracted many scholars throughout the world, and especially attracted a researcher from third world country like me.

I had my first association with Professor Moskos in August 1986, at New Delhi at the International Sociological Association meeting. I was much astonished by his scholarly presentation and depth of his thought. He was extremely happy to find out that I was doing a PhD in Military Sociology and the first question he asked me was, "Leena, did you get the clearance from the Army Headquarters?" I told him my whole story: that I did struggle to get the clearance after 10 long years with the condition that I must clear the thesis first with the Army command before submitting to the university. He was amazed. He asked me to give a presentation. I was scared but I did it. He was very happy and almost immediately he invited me to come for the IUS meeting next year. I was so thrilled and excited, and my new journey started from there.

Charlie guided me in every research I undertook thereafter. He even wrote a letter to our chief for permission to work with Indian Peacekeepers stationed in Eritrea. I always had a close relationship with him: he often used to discuss the caste system, poverty, and the status of women, along with the success of the IT sector in India. Many times he wondered how the Indian military is one of the best in the world and yet there was so much contradiction in Indian society. It was so enlightening to be with him.

When I completed my book on "Kargil War Widows", I wanted a write-up from him. To make his work easier, I sent him my conclusions and methodology and outline of the work. He wrote me back, " Leena, write on my behalf what you think is proper, and I will sign it." I was amazed. Writing this incident, my tears are flowing: how can a man of such repute can do this favour? And then, the next day I received a fax from him on the write-up. That is Dr. Moskos, a great man indeed.

Today, I consider the IUS my family, key to my development and world view. But I cannot forget it was Professor Charles Moskos who paved the way for me. He never let me feel small; he always said, " Leena, I feel proud that you come from such a long distance to attend this IUS meetings. You are doing great work -- congratulations." And each time, I was utterly amazed and thanked God that I met him in 1986.

How can I forget those wonderful dinners to which he invited international participants, the Greek restaurant, the varieties of unending dishes and the warm affectionate attitude towards us? It will be very difficult for all of us to forget him; at least I cannot forget him ever.

My family and I kept a special pooja/prayer in his honour at our temple on Friday for his loving soul to be in peace. We understand the difficult time his wife Ilca, and sons, Andrew and Peter, are facing. I am also mourning with them. My deepest sympathy goes to them and the whole Moskos family.

Dr. Charles Moskos’s works have greatly influenced several generations of military sociologists, including those in the Soviet Union and post-soviet Russia. We are all mourning this bereavement with you. His ideas will remain in use in scientific circles.

I had been in correspondence with Charles since July 2002. He was very benevolent towards all my requests, sent his books to me, and gave me valuable advice and recommendations. I am grateful that I became acquainted with Charles in person in October 2005 at the IUS conference in Chicago. My photo with him has constantly been on my work table since. My last correspondence with him was in a letter on the 7th of August, 2007; it concerned the contents of my report on dedovschina from the IUS Conference in 2007 that, unfortunately, I could not present in person.

He was always friendly and sympathetic towards his Russian colleagues – and he even learned a few Russian words. Our condolences are offered to his friends, family and colleagues on behalf of all Russian military sociologists.