Lander University graduates regularly climb the ranks to hold positions of leadership in their respective organizations. That journey is true for Lander alumnus, Ed Moore, who was recently promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army.
Moore, who earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Lander in 2007, was honored during a formal Promotion Ceremony on Monday (Oct. 13), an event that included the reading of his promotion orders, administering the oath of office and pinning of the insignia of his new rank. The event was held at Greenwood Presbyterian Church, where Moore’s father, the Rev. Archie Moore, is minister.
Maj. Gen. Jeff Jones, the 29th Deputy Adjutant General of South Carolina, presided over the ceremony. He is second in command of the South Carolina Military Department, which includes the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, South Carolina State Guard and South Carolina Emergency Management Division.
“This is the definition of ‘the best day for me,’” Jones said, calling the ceremony both a formal day and a family event, and recognition of Moore’s service in the U.S. Army.
“It is an honor be in Greenwood County. Patriotism was born in this county during the American Revolution,” he said, referencing the two battles fought in Ninety Six during the Revolutionary War.
From Lander to Lieutenant Colonel
Despite the promotion in rank, Moore said, “I am not special. I have just been given special opportunities.”
Those opportunities began at Lander, he said, when he joined the South Carolina National Guard as an Army ROTC cadet in 2006. He was commissioned as an infantry officer in 2007. His military service has included service at military bases throughout the United States, leading the family to move often to different posts as his orders changed.
“We have served in some great places,” Moore said. “Once, my daughter Mallory asked, ‘When are we moving again?’ We have always been ready to embrace opportunities.”
Moore’s professional military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course; Maneuver Captains Career Course; U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; Defense Strategy; Air Defense Artillery Reclassification Course; and Senior Military Science Instructor Course. He earned a master’s degree in executive leadership from Liberty University and a master’s degree in operational studies from the Command and Staff College.
Among his numerous medals and commendations are the Meritorious Service Medal (3), which recognizes superior performance in the military, and the Army Commendation Medal (4), a high personal decoration that is awarded for acts of courage, duty or heroism. He also was awarded the Ranger Tab, Expert Infantryman Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Basic Airborne Badge and the Air Assault Badge.
“It is my great honor to serve my nation,” Moore said, thanking his family, as well as his parents, Archie and Glenda Moore, and in-laws, Mr. and Mrs. David Hjalmer, of Greenwood.
“Melissa has been a professional military wife, and her support has made this day possible,” Moore said.
During the ceremony, Melissa Moore, a 2009 graduate of Lander, and the couple’s children, Mallory, Hudson and Tess, pinned the official lieutenant colonel insignia, the silver oak leaf that represents strength, to Moore’s uniform.
Lander’s Role in Shaping Leaders
“Lander has had a tremendous role in shaping future military leaders,” said Jones, hailing the quality of the ROTC program for producing many of the state’s best officers.
Retired U.S. Army Maj. Adrian Chen, Lander assistant professor of military science, joined Army veteran Brent Delgado, director of Lander’s Military and Veteran Services, to present a Lander flag to Moore which can be taken to his future posts.
“The Lander ROTC program, as part of the Highlander Battalion, provides our cadets with leadership and critical thinking skills to help them navigate the complex reality of the world they are entering,” Chen said.
“They will be charged with leading our nation’s soldiers as officers, and the training they receive in the program, both physical and tactical, are critical to their success on future battlefields,” he said. “The ROTC program is able to put cadets in high stress leadership situations that force cadets to develop resiliency and mental toughness that allow them to rise to any challenge they may face in the future."
Moore praised his time at Lander “for preparing me for the military and my career … Go Bearcats!”
Learn more about Lander’s ROTC program by visiting www.lander.edu/rotc.
Learn more about Lander’s Office of Military and Veterans Services by visiting www.lander.edu/veterans.