Veteran Salute: Olpe man chooses life of service at 19

TOPEKA (KSNT) – An Olpe man made a life-changing decision at age 19 to do something he would be proud of for years to follow.

As a teen, Doug Burenheide wanted to do something for his country. He decided to enlist in the Army, just like his younger brother, uncle and father. While his brother went into active duty, Burenheide entered the reserves.

In 2007, he was transferred to the training support battalion where he became an observer coach trainer after serving as a mechanic. 

“So whenever a unit would go out in the field on their annual training, we would go out there and observe them and coach them on what’s right,” Burenheide said. “As far as everything that the Army requires. So we’d coach them and train them and say, this is what you did, this is what you should do.”

During his nearly four-decade-long career within the Army, one particular moment stuck out to Burenheide as his proudest and most memorable: his promotion to E7 sergeant first class. And for a promotion like that, it requires a lot of time and dedication. 

“I spent a lot of years working on that and finally got it,” Burenheide said. “You have time and grade, which you’re pretty beat your grade that you’re in, and time in service. So you have to have so much time as you’re an E6, and then you have to have so much time in the service. But another requirement to that is schooling. So you have to have a certain school in order to get promoted. So I had to go through an LC graduate from that to get promoted.”

Burenheide wears his pride in what his service meant to him. 

“It means that I’m able to serve my community and my nation,” Burenehide said. “I was the one that made the choice to serve and protect. That makes me proud of what I accomplished through my 34 years.”

Burenheide, now retired, has plans to spend time with his wife and kids. 

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