#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Travis A. Bonvillain

Travis Anthony Bonvillain wanted to see more of the world and meet new people, so he decided to enlist. Bonvillain comes from a family of Army Veterans. When he was looking to join the military in 2004, the Army was a natural choice for him.

After basic training in Fort Benning Georgia, Bonvillain went to his first assignment in Fort Lewis, Washington, with Charlie Company 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. He was a platoon radiotelephone operator and a Stryker driver during his first tour.

After his first tour in Iraq, Bonvillain went to Fort Hood, Texas. His unit there was preparing to deploy to Iraq, so Bonvillain joined them. During his second tour, Bonvillain served as the section commander for Bradley vehicles. Bonvillain said that one of his favorite memories during his service was when his platoon leader was able to acquire some school bags with supplies, and the platoon then delivered those supplies to a school in Ras al-Khor. Bonvillain said he was proud to be a part of something bigger and was able to help defend his country.

During his service, Bonvillain received three Army Commendation Medals, two Army Good Conduct Medals, an Iraqi Campaign Medal with three campaign stars, an Army Service Medal, and a National Defense Service medal.

Bonvillain left the Army in June 2011. He said he wanted to take the leadership skills he learned in the military and use them to succeed outside of the military. He became a supervisor in a company in Louisiana and then pursued a bachelor of science in crisis and emergency disaster management at Grand Canyon University.

Thank you for your service!

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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/.

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Contributors

Writer: Heather Martin

Editor: Essence McPherson

Fact checker: Claire Dufault

Graphic artist: Robert McPherson