Tulsa police officers in unique Purple Heart award ceremony

BY JERRY WOFFORD World Staff Writer
Thursday, March 22, 2012
3/22/12 at 5:15 AM

View photos and an interactive map of the 45th Infantry Brigade of the Oklahoma Army National Guard.

The recent awarding of a Purple Heart medal by Col. Joel Ward, brigade commander of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, involved a unique situation: Both men - Ward and the recipient - are also Tulsa police officers.

Sgt. Chad Moyer was awarded the Purple Heart after he was wounded in action last September in Paktia province, Afghanistan, Ward said.

"Being able to award any Purple Heart is really special because of what the medal signifies," Ward told the Tulsa World on Wednesday. "His was special to me because we've worked together as TPD officers for years."

Moyer is a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of Tulsa. He was awarded the medal March 15 at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan.

Nearly 200 soldiers from the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team have earned the Purple Heart award so far in this deployment.

The Purple Heart is typically awarded to soldiers who are wounded or killed in combat.

About 3,000 Oklahoma soldiers were deployed to Kuwait and Afghanistan last summer. Since then, 14 soldiers from the Oklahoma National Guard's 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team were killed in action.

All of the other Oklahoma soldiers are either back in the state or are in some stage of demobilization and are due to be back in the coming few weeks.

Original Print Headline: Purple Heart rites have unique touch

Jerry Wofford 918-581-8310
jerry.wofford@tulsaworld.com

Associated Images:

Col. Joel Ward (left), commander of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, awards the Purple Heart Medal to Sgt. Chad Moyer, Company C, 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry, 45th IBCT, at Bagram Air Field on March 15. SPC. SHANNA GANTZ/Courtesy