FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — For his part in saving the life of a motorist at an off-post gas station in 2021, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence senior leaders presented Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Mobley, currently assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, MSCoE, with the Soldier’s Medal during a ceremony April 29 in Lincoln Hall Auditorium.
Before affixing the medal to Mobley’s uniform, Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general, called it “a great honor to be here to celebrate a truly incredible individual, who represents our Army as a profession in an exemplary manner and truly personifies our values, 24/7.”
“The Soldier’s Medal is not awarded often, and it is never given — it is truly earned,” Beck said. “The Soldier who runs to danger and not away from it demonstrates exceptional character and exhibits our Army Values, to include personal courage, selfless service and a profound sense of duty.”
Beck then summarized the actions that led to Mobley’s award, explaining that in the dark, early morning hours of Jan. 23, 2021, Mobley was driving through Crocker, Missouri, on his way to work, when he noticed “a parked vehicle engulfed in flames.”
“He observed the situation closer and noticed the driver was still trapped in the vehicle,” Beck said. “Acting on instinct, he successfully broke the window and removed the driver from the vehicle. He then stayed, kept the situation calm and under control, waiting for first responders and rendering aid to the driver.”
The individual experienced some smoke inhalation, but was otherwise uninjured, Mobley said in a March 2021 interview, after the Missouri House of Representatives adopted a resolution of appreciation for his actions. Mobley, a Poplar Bluff, Missouri, native, also received a Missouri state flag flown over the state Capitol building in Jefferson City.
Everyone should take time to help others in need, Mobley said, adding that running toward the flames was a result of a mentality ingrained in him through his years of service with the Army.
“Run toward the sound of chaos,” he said. “I guess everybody in the military is taught that.”
Mobley, who recently completed the Army’s Career Skills Program and is set to retire May 31, after 21 years of military service, offered a piece of advice to the Soldiers in attendance at the ceremony.
“The cloth that you wear on your chest doesn’t define you as a Soldier,” he said. “The heart you carry under it does.”
Beck closed his remarks by saying Mobley is “truly deserving of this honor.”
“We are very proud of you,” he said. “We’re proud of your leadership; we’re proud of your service; and we’re proud to serve with you.”
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