There are few commendations more important to a U.S. Army soldier than the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. One-inch high by three-inches-long with a silver infantry musket and an oak leaf wreath says the soldier wearing it came under enemy fire.

Capt. Scott Moyer and 1st Sgt. Jim Hagris of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 124th Florida National Guard recently received their Combat Infantryman’s Badge for action they took part in against hostile forces in Balad, Iraq. Moyer is the company commander who led the unit while under enemy fire on Aug 21, 2003.

Moyer has been in the Middle East Theater of Operation since February. He expected to return home to Florida in November. However, Guard and Reserve units in Iraq have just had their tours extended by as much as an additional year.

Capt. Moyer is the son of Eden and Carol Moyer of Port Charlotte, Fla.

When he isn’t being a soldier, the captain is a kindergarten teacher in the Marion County School District. He was nominated for “Teacher of the Year.”

Asked what his greatest challenge in teaching was, he said “Having Joshua write this name for the first time.” At the time, he was teaching mentally challenged children and taking that first big step, writing their name, took them six months of trying.

Moyer decided to be a kindergarten teacher because he said, “If the first step for a child in education is a positive one, the better are his or her chances to succeed in life. I waned to give them that first positive step.”

Talking about his son and the part he and the men of Company B are playing in the Iraq conflict, Eden, said “The young men in my son’s company are Floridians and must know the people of their state are behind them.”

This story was first published in the Charlotte Sun newspaper, Port Charlotte, Fla. on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2003 and is republished with permission.

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