Humboldt Hero: Skylar Moser

Skylar Moser with flag. [All photos provided]

Skylar Moser was born on June 28, 1986 right here in Eureka. He attended Pacific Union Elementary School and graduated from Arcata High in 2004. After working a few jobs locally, his buddy Ryan called him one Friday morning to let him know he and their friend Tyler were going to go join the Army. Ryan asked Skylar if he would like to come with them, and he said “Sure.”

The three amigos enlisted in the United States Army on May 31, 2006. Each of them picked different jobs, which meant that they trained at three different bases in the States, and were sent on three different deployments in Iraq. Skylar attended and graduated from Air Assault School, where you are taught how to rappel out of helicopters.

Skylar Moser in Iraq.

Skylar was deployed to Iraq, in 2007 and was stationed at Contingency Operating Base Adder for 15 months, serving on multiple patrols and convoys. During his time there, he was injured and med-evacuated to a hospital in Kuwait. He recovered fully and started trying to get in touch with his friends to see if they were going to re-enlist for another contract. He couldn’t reach them, and assumed that they did, so he did, too. Turns out that Ryan and Tyler had NOT re-enlisted!

So Skylar was deployed again, this time to FOB Wolverine in Afghanistan for 13 months and participated in many missions there. During his time of service, Skylar received multiple Army commendation medals and Army achievement metals.

Some of the things that Skylar remembers most about his overseas tours was just learning how people in other areas of the world live. He enjoyed the many ways that rice, lamb, and bread could be prepared, drank a LOT of hot tea, and learned to barter with the locals.

It was an eye-opening experience, driving along highways in 130 degree temperatures and watching local residents working to mine salt outside in that heat. Or driving by a local “market” that was simply a tarp laying on the ground with a pickup truck load of corn in the middle of it. Skylar learned an appreciation of how advanced the United States of America is, and to be grateful for all of the opportunities and technology that we enjoy.

From 2011 through October 25^th, 2013, Skylar was stationed at Fort Eustice, Virginia.

Skyler Moser on tank

Afterward he lived in North Carolina for a year, before moving back to Humboldt County in 2014. He had the pleasure for two years of being one of the two employees at the popular Mr. Fish seafood market on Broadway, alongside the actual (and popular) “Mr. Fish”: Mark McCulloch.

Skylar then became a contractor that towed emergency equipment to areas as close as the wildfire fighting lines and as far away as Houston, Texas after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. In January 2019, Skylar went to work for PG&E, and now gets to work there with his old buddy Ryan, who joined PG&E six months ago. They are both still friends with Tyler.

Skylar loves living in Humboldt County because of the mountains, beaches, trees, people, hunting opportunities, and the fact that you can go 45 minutes east in the winter and cut snow. He met and married his bride Ashlee, who is originally from Rio Dell, and whom is a realtor at The Land Man.

The Mosers have two daughters together: Braelee, who is six years old and Brynslee, who is 3 years old. Brynslee rides her horse Gary at home, and Braelee rides her horse Gill at home and at barrel racing events because by her reckoning, “Gill is the fastest horse in the world!”

The family has lived in Fortuna for a while, and just bought a new house there this past July. They enjoy camping and being outdoors.

Ashlee’s mom and her nephew JD live with the Mosers, and they appreciate their assistance with the girls. Skylar’s parents stayed in Humboldt County, and his mother is the coordinator of the Victim Witness Program of the District Attorney’s office. His father retired from Sierra Pacific as a logging truck driver.

This is a family that is deeply rooted in Humboldt County, and we are grateful that they will be raising their next generation here, too.