#VeteranOfTheDay Air Force Veteran Michael Buras

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Air Force Veteran Michael Buras, who served three deployments in Afghanistan from 2006-2010 and was killed in action.

Michael Buras was born in Tifton, Georgia, and grew up in Fitzgerald, Georgia. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the Air Force in 2006.

Following completion of basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Buras began training as an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technician at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. After graduation, he served with the 99th Civil Engineer Squadron based out of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

Buras deployed a total of three times to Afghanistan. He served twice at Bagram Airfield with the 755th Air Expeditionary Squadron. In May 2009, Buras received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained from an improvised explosive device (IED) while on his second deployment. In September 2010, he deployed with the 99th Civil Engineer Squadron’s EOD team stationed in Kandahar, Afghanistan. During a mission, Buras died of wounds from an IED blast. He was 23.

He received a Bronze Star with Valor, two Purple Hearts, and an Army Commendation Medal with Valor device and one oak leaf cluster.

Buras’ wife, Emily, and daughter, Maddison, survived him.

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Contributors

Editor: Ashley Levi

Fact checker: Vivian Hurney

Graphic artist: Jessica Hunsinger