CENTER FOR U.S. WAR
VETERANS' ORAL HISTORIES
Iraqi Freedom / Post 9-11
Michael Bustard
Iraqi Freedom / New Dawn Oral History Interview
US Army, Field Artillery / Intelligence
Date: May 18, 2026
Interviewers: Carol Fowler, Joseph Zamorski, Paige Green
Summarizer: Paige Green
Summary
Michael Bustard was born in Belleville, New Jersey in December 1985, where he grew up in a family with a tradition of military service spanning multiple generations. Influenced by his family’s history of service and the events of September 11th, he attended Rutgers University and participated in the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army.
Bustard entered active duty in 2008 and served as a Field Artillery Officer in the 3rd Infantry Division. During his career, he also transitioned into the Military Intelligence Corps, serving as an Intelligence Officer and later a Strategic Intelligence Officer. His Active Duty assignments included service with the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment and the 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment, both within the 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team (1HBCT), 3rd Infantry Division (3ID).
Prior to his deployment to Iraq, Bustard trained at several major U.S. Army installations, including but not limited to Fort Benning, Fort Sill, Fort Knox and Fort Stewart, where he developed as a young officer and prepared for combat operations. As an ROTC cadet, he attended Airborne School and other training events. When he arrived at Fort Stewart in early 2009, 1st HBCT, 3ID was assigned to C.C.M.R.F. duties. The acronym stands for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosive (CBRNE) Consequence Management Response Force. These stateside assignments provided foundational leadership training and exposure to artillery operations, unit coordination, and the realities of leading soldiers in complex environments.
Bustard deployed to Iraq in 2009-2010 during Operation Iraqi Freedom and was there during the transition to Operation New Dawn, where he was stationed primarily at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Falcon and operated extensively in and around Southwest Baghdad, to include Victory Base Camp (VBC). His responsibilities included coordinating security operations, conducting lethal and non-lethal targeting operations, identifying and funding infrastructure projects, conducting Key Leader Engagements (KLEs) with Iraqi local and law enforcement leadership, and working closely with both U.S. and Iraqi security forces.
A central theme of Bustard’s experience in Iraq was engagement with local communities. He described extensive interaction with Iraqi civilians during patrols, particularly in urban neighborhoods, were soldiers frequently encountered families and children. These interactions often involved efforts to build trust, including humanitarian gestures such as distributing supplies and engaging respectfully with residents despite language and cultural barriers.
…then you see a donkey pulling a cart with three kids and bags of random stuff through a trash filled back drops and you’re like ‘alright, this is definitely not the same as back home.
Bustard also discussed the broader civil-military mission of stabilization and reconstruction. His unit organized and funded infrastructure projects, such as clearing canals, removing waste and debris, and supporting larger Civil Affairs projects intended to improve services to rural neighborhoods. In addition, he described the implementation of microgrant programs designed to help local Iraqi businesses reopen and stabilize, contributing to economic recovery at the community level.
Another significant aspect of his deployment involved coordination and relationship-building with Iraqi leadership structures. Bustard recalled meetings and collaboration with Iraqi Federal Police, local imams, or Islamic leaders, and village sheiks, or elders, each of whom played a critical role in maintaining order and mediating between coalition forces and the civilian population. These interactions required cultural awareness, negotiation, and trust-building in a complex and often unstable environment.
A couple of times we’d have our interpreters come over and be like ‘Hey sir, they’re saying not really great things at that mosque over there, and we can hear them’…and then all of a sudden, the incoming alarms would go off and then we’d get hit.
It is the relationship and partnership with the Iraqi Federal Police that took up most of his missions and time in Iraq. Bustard and his unit worked with the Iraqi Federal Police and the Iraqi Judiciary to identify and locate terrorists and their supporters, obtain Article 4 Terrorism Warrants, participate in raids to apprehend the individuals, and facilitate prosecution. During Bustard’s time doing this work, he gained the skill, knowledge and exposure for his future work in Law Enforcement.
Bustard also reflected on several tragic events that shaped his understanding of the cost of war. He recounted two losses that his Brigade experienced: one Soldier was killed after being critically injured while conducting maintenance of a radar system, as well as the death of a Soldier who was serving as a gunner in a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle that struck an overpass during a patrol. Bustard also discussed the impact of the death of 2LT Joey Fortin, a friend made during the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course who was killed by an Explosively Formed Projectile (EFP) in August 2009. Bustard also recalled the death of a security contractor at FOB Falcon who was killed when an RPG struck the contractor’s guard tower; although the rocket did not detonate, the round fatally wounded him before the EOD team could clear the round and medical assistance could arrive.Â
Throughout his interview, Bustard emphasized the emotional impact of these losses and the way they reinforced the dangers faced by service members and contractors alike during the conflict. He reflected on maintaining normalcy in Iraq, and how much the support and care from home was a major help in keeping spirits high and grounded. In particular, Bustard reflected on his mom and her mission to help make sure that all soldiers were receiving care packages.
She would send care packages; she actually started working with a bunch of her friends too, and me, to identify soldiers who were not really receiving packages in the unit.
In addition to combat operations and humanitarian work, Bustard reflected on daily life at FOB Falcon and Victory Base Camp, describing the constant movement between bases, security concerns, and the operational demands of counterinsurgency warfare. He highlighted the importance of adaptability, leadership, and teamwork in managing both combat responsibilities and community engagement.
So many people sent us bags of coffee…our supply Sergeant, Sergeant Baxter, set up like a coffee shop, it was a fake coffee shop, everything was free…It was essentially a place for everybody to come meet and grab coffee.
Following his Active Duty service, Bustard carried the lessons of leadership, responsibility, and resilience into his full-time career working in law enforcement. His veteran oral history provides a detailed account of modern military operations in Iraq, highlighting not only combat experiences but also the complex relationships between soldiers, Iraqi civilians, and local leaders during a period of conflict and reconstruction.Â
Among Michael Bustard’s service medals awarded during his service with the United States Army and United States Army Reserve are: the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Iraqi Campaign Medal with 2 Campaign Stars, the Parachutist Badge, and the Meritorious Unit Commendation.
