He was also an Army officer from 1983 to 2011. He served on active duty as an infantry officer with the 3d Infantry Division in Germany and the 2d Infantry Division in South Korea. Upon leaving active duty, he continued to serve in the Army Reserve with the Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne). He was called back to active duty in 2002 for deployment to Afghanistan and again in 2007 for deployment to Iraq before retiring as a colonel in 2011. His military awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Combat Action Badge, Ranger Tab, and Master Parachutist Badge.