Lieutenant Colonel Moran is a native of Houston, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts in History and was commissioned in May 2006. After completing the Basic Officer Course and Infantry Officer Course in June 2007, 2ndLt Moran reported to 1st Battalion, 9th Marines in Camp Lejeune, NC and served as H&S Company Executive Officer and Iraqi Security Force Liaison Officer for deployment to Ramadi, Iraq from March to October 2008. Upon return from deployment 1stLt Moran was assigned as the Combined Anti Armor Team (CAAT) Platoon Commander, Weapons Company and served in this role for work up and deployment with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) from January to July 2010.
1stLt Moran was promoted to Captain in July of 2010 and returned CONUS to assume duties as Inspector Instructor, Detachment, Company C, 1st Battalion 23rd Marines, Harlingen, Texas in August 2010. Capt Moran led the Inspector Instructor staff from August 2010 to February 2013 during which he facilitated the mobilization, deployment, and de-mobilization of the unit in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Black Sea Rotational Force, and the Georgia Deployment Program.
Capt Moran transitioned from Active Duty in February of 2013 and subsequently affiliated as a drilling reservist in March 2013 with the 4th Marine Division G-7 Inspection Team in New Orleans, Louisiana. Capt Moran served as an Assistant Inspecting Officer for the Division G-7 during Commanding General Inspections (CGIs) across 4th MARDIV.
In September 2016 Capt Moran was promoted to Major and mobilized to serve as Officer in Charge, El Salvador Detachment, Security Cooperation Training Team 17.1, U.S. Marine Corps Forces South (MARFORSOUTH). While deployed as an advisor, Maj Moran facilitated the development and implementation of basic and advanced infantry training courses in support of Salvadoran Marine Corps operations, and facilitated the institutionalization of infantry training into the Salvadoran Center of Naval Education and Training.
Upon return from Central America in August 2017, Maj Moran joined the MARFORSOUTH IMA Detachment in Doral, Florida and subsequently mobilized to assume the duties as Central America Regional Planner within the Theater Security Cooperation (TSC) Branch from October 2017 to April 2019. From May 2019 to May 2020 Maj Moran served as the TSC Branch Plans and Operations Officer until returning to a drilling reserve status from June to December 2020.
Maj Moran transferred to 1st Battalion 24th Marines, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Detroit, Michigan to serve as the Battalion Assistant Operations Officer from December 2020 to October 2021. In late October 2021 Maj Moran transferred to 1st Battalion 23rd Marines, Joint Reserve Base Ellington, Houston, Texas to assume duties as Battalion Executive Officer and mobilized in support of Operation Allies Welcome from November 2021 to March 2022. Upon demobilization Maj Moran continued in this role until promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in September 2022 and transferred to the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command (JECC) to serve as a Joint Planner.
As a member of the JECC, Lieutenant Colonel Moran was mobilized as the Team Lead for Mission Tailored Package (MTP) support to U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) to develop a Level II Base Plan for Department of Defense logistical support to the Kenyan led Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti. He served as a planner with the JECC until March 2024 and subsequently transferred to assume command of 1st Battalion 24th Marines.
Lieutenant Colonel Moran is a graduate of the Joint Forces Staff College's Joint and Combined Warfighting School, is a distinguished graduate of the USMC Command and Staff College Distance Education Program, graduate of the USMC Expeditionary Warfare School Distance Education Program and has served as Adjunct Faculty for the USMC College of Distance Education and Training. Lieutenant Colonel Moran holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Lieutenant Colonel Moran is an experience track Latin America Foreign Area Officer with language proficiency in Spanish. His personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal three times awarded, and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal twice awarded.