For retired Army Sergeant David Coburn, service has always been a part of life—whether on foreign soil, in the hills of Vermont, or at home as a dedicated firefighter.

Born and raised in Hardwick, Vermont, Coburn began his military journey as a teenager during the height of the Vietnam War. In 1970, while still a senior at Hardwick Academy, a visit from a military recruiter changed the course of his life. At 18, Coburn was offered a choice: be drafted for two years as an infantryman or enlist for three and choose a specialized training path.

“I picked engineers,” said Mr. Coburn. “Went to Fort Benning, Georgia, for basic training, then to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, to learn how to operate heavy equipment, mainly bulldozers.”

Coburn deployed to Vietnam shortly thereafter, assigned to the 362nd Engineer Company, a heavy equipment unit tasked with building roads, clearing land, and constructing berms. His team was stationed near what troops called "Black Virgin Mountain," where they blasted rock to support troop movements in and out of Vietnam.

After a year in Vietnam, Coburn returned to the United States and then reported to a new duty station in Germany. There, he joined the 541st Float Bridge Company near Heidelberg, working primarily in the motor pool and supporting annual bridge-building operations across the Rhine River.

In 1972, Coburn completed his active duty service. Five years later, in 1977, he joined the Vermont Army National Guard’s tank unit in St. Albans.

"A buddy of mine was in the tank unit in St. Albans and convinced me to join the guards," said Mr. Coburn.

While he appreciated the camaraderie, he found tanks weren’t a natural fit. By 1980, Coburn transferred back to the engineers, this time with the 131st Engineer Company in Colchester out of Camp Johnson where he would serve until his retirement in 2005.

Throughout his 25-year career with the Vermont Guard, Coburn took part in numerous construction and infrastructure projects. In the early 1980s, he and his unit worked extensively at Ethan Allen Firing Range, improving ranges and building support structures. When local projects slowed, the unit turned to community service, constructing athletic fields for schools across Vermont in towns such as Danville, Winooski, Fairfax, and Barre Town.

In 1990, Coburn and his fellow Guardsmen were activated for Operation Desert Storm. After staging at Camp Johnson and Fort Devens, Massachusetts, the unit deployed to Saudi Arabia.

“We built roads through the desert, dug trenches, pushed up berms, and set up job sites for incoming units,” said Mr. Coburn.

The unit’s engineering support played a key role in enabling coalition forces to establish critical infrastructure in the desert theater and after returning home from the Gulf War, Coburn continued to support both local and federal missions.

Off the clock, Coburn also dedicated himself to his community. Since 1984, he has served as a firefighter in Hardwick.

In October 2005, on his 55th birthday, Coburn retired from the Vermont National Guard after more than three decades of service.

“It was a good birthday present to myself," said Mr. Coburn.