BJ was a United States Marine Corps squad leader of an infantry troop. All 43 Marines in BJ's infantry platoon were stationed just south of Bagdad. He was part of a mounted patrol and was in extreme danger every time he went out, which was typically 5 times a day. On one unfortunate Thanksgiving Day, his patrol drove into a combined armed ambush and an IED blew up his vehicle, causing him to sustain multiple injuries.