Bruce went into active duty with the U.S. Army in October of 1969. He trained in field artillery and air defense artillery. In 1970 he was sent to Korea, serving as air defense for the 7th Infantry Division Artillery. In 1971 he returned to the States and moved to Dubuque Iowa, joining the 1/133rd Infantry Division Iowa Army National Guard. He served twenty years, all in mortar gunnery and retired in 1996 as a Master Sgt.