#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Michael Brian Daake

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Michael Brian Daake, who served during the third phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 1988, Michael Daake was 17 years old and still a junior in high school when he enlisted in the Army National Guard for the college benefits. He found basic training to be both challenging and enjoyable, and that serving was an honorable duty to his country. In time, Daake got the opportunity to attend Officer Candidate School, and after completing OCS, was assigned to the 113^th Engineer Battalion.

In 2004, Daake’s unit went to Iraq as part of the third phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While there, he worked 15-hour days coordinating missions between the brigade staff and his battalion staff. Daake worked in multiple roles while deployed. He received a Bronze Star Medal.

Daake returned home in 2005 and worked full-time as a training officer for his local National Guard unit.

Thank you for your 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.

Veterans History Project

This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.

Contributors

Editor: Jenna Robles

Fact checker: Brett Raffish

Graphic artist: Nikki Lumbre