After graduating from Elgin High School in 1978, Noland worked as a security guard while taking classes at night at Elgin Community College. In 1984, he enlisted in the United States Navy as an E-3 (Seaman) and graduated from Hospital Corps School in 1985. Noland then went to Camp Pendleton where he went through Marine Corps training and served as a Corpsman, attached to NTC Great Lakes, until he got out in 1993. His unit was on call for the First Persian Gulf War but was never deployed.