MELISSA VAN BUHLER
Vice President - US Army, Major (Ret.)
Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom (05-07) serving one year with the 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division in Taji, Iraq from 2005 – 2006 as the senior legal officer. In addition to being the legal advisor to COL Perna (now GEN Perna), she also taught rules of engagement to Soldiers and other military members embedded with Iraqi forces.
After receiving her ROTC commission and completing law school, Melissa served more than fifteen years as a Judge Advocate in the United States Army. Her career started at Fort Knox, KY and spanned supporting a variety of military commands including top secret operations at the National Security Agency (NSA), United States Cyber Command, and United States Army Special Operations Command. After retiring out of Newport Naval Base in RI, Melissa moved to Seattle in late 2017 and started practicing as a lawyer in a private law firm. Her practice focuses on cybersecurity and data privacy for business clients.
Melissa joined VFW Post 3436 in late 2019 and became the post legal officer in spring of 2020. Continuing to serve with and among the veteran community is extremely important to her. She is thrilled to be a part of expanding the reach and ability of Post 3436 to help veterans through its charitable foundation.