Early Career
After graduation from the Infantry Officer Basic Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, Lieutenant Bahnsen attended Airborne School. During this period of his military career, Doc married his childhood sweetheart, Patricia Fitzgerald. Their marriage would see the birth of four children: Jon Christian, Bradley Duncan, Leeanne, and James Fitzgerald. Next came his attendance at the Fixed Wing Flight School at Camp Gary, Texas and Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Doc's first troop assignment was as an aviator in Artillery Flight, 3rd Aviation Company, 3rd Infantry Division. That assignment took him to Germany for a three-year tour. While In Germany, Bahnsen requested and was granted a transfer to armor branch, which led to him commanding B Company, 1st Tank Battalion, 68th Armor. Bahnsen excelled as a company commander, which was reflected in the qualification of all 17 of his company's tank crews qualifying on their first run on the Tank Crew Qualification Course at Grafenwohr. Bahnsen was awarded his first Army Commendation Medal for that achievement.
Following his tour in Germany, Bahnsen attended the Rotary Wing Aviator Course at Fort Wolters, Texas. He then attended the Armor Officer Advanced Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He remained at the Armor School as an instructor of armored cavalry and air cavalry tactics before proceeding to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas to attend the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
Concurrent with his military studies, Bahnsen had time to improve his golf game, hunt birds, and became a 32nd degree Scottish Rite mason while at Fort Leavenworth. Near the end of his schooling Bahnsen received orders to Vietnam assigning him to the 145th Combat Aviation Battalion.
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