Complex sentence: At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Broussard volunteered for service and served as a captain in Cuba, 1898-1899; he accompanied the Taft Commission to the Philippine Islands in 1899 and served as an assistant secretary.
Split into simpler sentences: At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Broussard volunteered for service. He was a captain in Cuba, 1898-1899; he accompanied the Taft Commission to the Philippine Islands in 1899 and served as an assistant secretary.