Ben Moran is no stranger to hard work.
Moran, a sophomore pre-med major at TCU, maintains that he would not be at the school if it were not for the Army ROTC.
“The only reason why I’m at school is because of the ROTC program,” Moran says. “I didn’t come from money or anything like that.”
A native of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, near Chicago, Moran spent his time shadowing a trauma doctor at Stroger Medical Center, sometimes seeing up to 12 to 15 gunshot wounds on a Friday night shift.
“I loved it, I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” Moran said.
That doctor at Stroger Medical was a Navy surgeon and had told Moran about the benefits of joining the ROTC in college and utilizing the benefits to get a medical degree.
“I always wanted to be in the military before being a doctor,” Moran said.
A sense of duty and selfless service is not something foreign to Moran either. With a family background in federal law enforcement, it’s no surprise Moran and his brother, Jack, both decided to join the military.
“Jack is a Master at Arms in the Marine Corps Reserve and an officer with the Charlotte North Carolina Police department,” Moran said.
Sophomore and fellow cadet Sophia Brown met Moran during their freshman year. Having majors with similar difficulty, Brown and Moran spent a lot of time studying together.
Brown can attest to Moran’s work ethic and kindness.
“He has continued to have a huge impact on everyone he knows both in the program and outside of ROTC,” Brown said. ” He is extremely intelligent and personable. Because of these characteristics, people have no problem asking him for help, whether it be in their classes or with something concerning ROTC.”
Brown knows firsthand the difficulty of the first year of ROTC can have on new cadets. While the classes are not hard academically, lack of time management and attention to detail regarding regulations can cause stress for new cadets.
“Because of the person he is, he never hesitates to help others with whatever they may need,” Brown said.
TCU’s Senior Military Instructor Master Sgt. George Martinez has nothing but praise for Moran’s performance in the classroom and in the field.
“Cadet Moran has maintained a 3.5 or higher GPA for ROTC since starting the program,” Martinez said. “Cadet Moran represents the entire scholar, athlete, and leader characteristics that embody what the ROTC program looks for in future officers.”
This summer, Moran will be traveling to Madagascar to participate in Cadet Command’s coveted Cultural Understanding and Leadership Program (CULP). The program sends qualified cadets to allied countries to educate them on global partnership.
Currently Moran is working on research at TCU with Cerebral Palsy patients on increasing their range of motion.
“We’re trying to get published and representing at Harvard Medical this summer with the findings, Moran said. “It’s pretty exciting.”
In the future, Moran has his sights on being a career Army doctor, not just doing the initial 8-year contract all cadets have to fulfill upon commissioning.
“My goal is to be a general surgeon on medevac helicopters,” Moran said. “Being a flight surgeon, that kind of stuff. There’s a burn unit in Houston that can be deployed anywhere in the world within an hour.” 
Moran and Fellow cadets during rush week in 2017. Moran is also a member of the Beta Theta Phi Fraternity at TCU.
Moran with Cadet John Donoghue during a 2017 awards ceremony at TCU.
Moran with Cadet Caanan York during the spring 2018 Field Training Exercise. TCU Cadets spent 3 days in the field learning various light infantry tactics.
Thomas T. Moore 