Travis Van Buren spent 8 years in the US Army. Joining in 1999, PFC Van Buren attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He later attended Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma where he learned to maintain and fire the ‘Multiple Launch Rocket Systems’ Field Artillery system. Following his training, PFC Van Buren was assigned to the 3d Infantry Division where he was attached to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 39th Field Artillery Regiment.

After September 11th, PFC Van Buren’s Battery was attached from 3d Division Artillery Brigade to the 3d Brigade, 3d Infantry Division and was sent to serve under Operation Intrinsic Action/ Operation Desert Spring on the Iraqi border with Kuwait. During his unit’s tour, PFC Van Buren began accumulating college credits and setting himself aside by winning “Soldier of the Month.” PFC Van Buren was also awarded Sergeant stripes by a Staff Sergeant at his promotion ceremony. This is an enlisted tradition in which an NCO upon promotion calls one or two Soldiers whom he believes are going to go far in their military careers to the front of the formation and awards them his former stripes.

PFC Van Buren was promoted and sent back to the Middle East in January 2003 to begin combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During this tour, SPC Van Buren fought from the Kuwaiti border, through An Nasariyah, An Najaf, Al Hilla, Karballa, Fallujah, and into Baghdad.

Again in 2005, then SGT Van Buren, was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, where he performed convoy support, entry control point and base security operations until late 2006. SGT Van Buren has since been released from active duty and plans to continue college.

Martin Van Buren is a Veteran Marine Corporal who spent four years in the Marine Corps. He graduated Recruit Training with Hotel Company, Second Recruit Training Battalion, Parris Island South Carolina on October 13, 1995.

He later attended Marine Combat Training at the School of Infantry, Camp Geiger, North Carolina, and from there went to Military Occupational Specialty School at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama to become an Ammunition Technician (MOS 2311).

From there he served in the Ammunition Supply Point at Camp Henoko, Okinawa, Japan, for one year and was stationed for two and one half years at Camp Pendleton, Ca., during which time he was designated to supply ammunition and explosive ordinance in two desert fire exercises (DESFIREX) and Combined Arms Exercises (CAX) at Twenty Nine Palms, California, and six months attached to Headquarters and Support Battalion, School of Infantry, Camp Pendleton, supplying ammunition and ordinance there as well.

Upon separating from the military, Former Corporal Van Buren stayed close to his military roots, arguing strongly in favor of the invasion of Iraq throughout college, and supporting his brother, Travis Van Buren through three tours of the Middle East including two since the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom.