Born in Fairhope, Alabama, Josh Moore’s family relocated frequently as his father was a Wesleyan minister.

Moving to North Carolina at age six, Moore was first introduced to wrestling at the Mooresville Wrestling Club.

He attended Eastern Randolph High School for four years and was a standout athlete and leader for the Wildcats. At Eastern Randolph, Moore excelled in football, was an all-state wrestler in 2005, and a team captain for the wrestling team.

Graduating from Eastern Randolph in 2006, Moore played one season of football at North Carolina Wesleyan College before transferring to wrestle at Liberty University. In 2019, Moore earned a degree in civil engineering from the Citadel.

In 2009, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he has served for the past 15 years.

In March 2011, while serving in Afghanistan as part of a US Marine Corps Scout Sniper Platoon, Moore’s team was compromised while in a hide-site northeast of Marjah. Returning to a nearby section they previously occupied, they again came under attack.

During the firefight, two grenades were thrown over the wall into the team’s position, hitting Moore in the back. He picked up the first grenade and threw it out of the building where it immediately detonated.

Recognizing the second grenade had malfunctioned, he charged out of the compound to engage the machine gun nests attacking them to provide cover for three Marines who were casualties.

While under heavy machine fire, Moore stood his ground and used his M-4 rifle and M-203 grenade launcher to neutralize the enemy and force them to abandon their position.

This gave his team time to regroup, aid the wounded, and secure a landing zone to extract the wounded personnel.

Because of his decisive leadership, bravery, and heroism, Moore was awarded the Navy Cross in a ceremony at Camp Lejeune in November 2013.

In September 2014, he was named the 2nd Marine Division Marine of the Year and received the 2014 GySgt John Basilone Award for Courage and Commitment.

Elevated to the rank of United States Marine Captain in 2023, Moore currently works at Parris Island and lives in Beaufort, South Carolina, with his wife Carol and three children: Samuel, Danny Beth, and Ezra.