User:Stanton478

Douglas Gene Hoffman (born July 22, 1979) is a United States Army Officer and recipient of the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. In 2003 his infantry platoon was among the first to pioneer the use of silly string as an improvised tool for spotting potential bomb trip wires in Iraq. Although the tactic saw relatively limited use in combat operations it was later made popular by public media interest in late 2006. After his release from the military in 2006, Hoffman modeled clothing for Ubawear Inc. and participated in their "Why Not Peace" program critical of the war in Iraq. He has since returned to military service.

Biography
Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Hoffman attended public schools and graduated from Barbe High School in 1997. During his youth he was a member of the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps, attending training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, IL with summer tours of duty as a cadet at U.S. Coast Guard Station Sabine Pass, TX and aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (WAGL-540/WLM-540) White Sumac before its decommissioning and subsequent transfer to the Navy of the Dominican Republic in 2002.

After high school he entered the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and pursued a degree in Biology. While attending VMI, Cadet Hoffman also served as an enlisted Soldier in the 29th Infantry Division in the Virginia Army National Guard as an infantryman. After receiving his commission from VMI as a 2nd Lieutenant in 2002, he served with Task Force 2-6 as an Infantry Platoon Leader in the Iraq War from 2003-2004 seeing action in Baghdad and later in the notorious Triangle of Death (Iraq) where he was wounded in action. Hoffman's unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, for extraordinary heroism in combat during Operation Iron Saber and their subsequent exploits against the enemy in the weeks leading up to the Battle of Najaf (2004). Major Hoffman most recently served in Iraq (2009-2010) with the 392nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion under the 335th Theater Signal Command (United States).