COL LaHavie J. Brunson was born the son of SGM(R) Albert and Delphine Brunson, in Fayetteville, NC. He comes from a military family with two brothers who currently serve, and a sister-in-law and a brother-in-law who all have proudly served as officers in the United States Army. As a youth, he was heavily involved in academics and sports, and achieved the Eagle Scout rank. COL Brunson is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was commissioned as a 2LT in the Quartermaster Corps in 1998. COL Brunson's awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit (2nd Award), the Bronze Star Medal (2nd Award), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (3rd Award), ARCOM (6th award), AAM (5th award), NDSM, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Service Medal, GWOT Expeditionary Medal, GWOT Service Medal, ASR, OSR, NATO Medal (Kosovo), and the MOVSM. COL Brunson is authorized to wear the Master Parachutist's Badge, the Pathfinder Badge, the Parachute Rigger Badge, the Canadian Parachutist's Badge, the German Parachutist's Badge, the Samuel Sharpe Award, the Order of St. Martin, the Order of Saint Christopher, and the Army and Joint Staff Identification Badges.