Colonel Moran is a native of Huntsville, Alabama. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Carnegie Mellon University in 1996 and a Master of Arts in National Security Studies from the Naval War College in 2024. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant through the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and assessed to the Corps of Engineers in the Army Reserves. He entered active duty through the Call to Active Duty program in June of 2019 after serving 23 years in the Army Reserves.
Moran’s expeditionary tours of duty include being attached to the Commander In Chief, US Pacific Fleet in 2001 to assist NAVSEA in the Ehime Maru Recovery Operation. He later deployed with the 416th Engineer Command’s Facility Engineer Detachment A in 2002 to assist the Area Support Group-Kuwait as a Civil Engineer. In 2008, he deployed with 763rd Facility Engineer Detachment to assist the 20th Engineer Brigade with civil projects and master planning at COB Basra in Iraq. In 2013, he deployed again to Area Support Group-Kuwait as part of the 904th Facility Engineer Team where he served as the Civil Engineer for the Department of Public Works. In 2019, he was assigned to the Southern European Task Force – Africa stationed in Vicenza, Italy.
Moran served as the commander of the 554th Engineer Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood from 2021 to 2023. Prior assignments include United States Central Command and United States Special Operations Command in Tampa, Florida, US Corps of Engineers – Huntsville Center, the 926th Engineer Brigade in Alabama, and the 285th Engineer Company in Louisiana. Moran worked professionally in the private sector for Teledyne Brown Engineering and deciBel Research, Inc. for over nineteen years. His work centered on missile defense technologies starting with infrastructure planning, permitting, and missile defense complex design. He later worked on target missile development and radar prototyping before assuming leadership positions in proposal management and business development.
In May 2025, Moran became the Special Operations Command - Africa Chief of Staff after previously serving as the J4 Director of Logistics and Engineering. He will depart in June 2026 to take command of the Louisville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Moran is a Registered Professional Engineer in the state of Alabama. His personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service medals, and Iraqi Campaign Medal.