Dave grew up in a small town in eastern Oklahoma that was little more than a fuel stop along Interstate 40. At the age of seventeen, he resolved that his escape from the purgatory of middle America would be to join the U.S. Army. Throughout his Army career, he served in some of the toughest units, completed challenging leadership and tactical training courses, deployed to five countries, and led 189 combat missions in Iraq. His military experience and the soldiers he served with have inspired the characters and stories in his writing. Dave retired from the Army in 2010 and has worked for the Department of the Army, the Department of Veterans Affairs and served on advisory councils for the executive certificate program, Transformative Leadership in Disruptive Times at both, The George Washington University and Seton Hall University. Dave and his wife, Kasey, live in Virginia, where they enjoy life on the water, hiking, tending their vegetable garden and spoiling their geriatric hound dog.