Cameron Mangels first answered the call of public service in 1995 when he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He served as a member of the Security Forces, specializing in air base-ground defense for the famed 1st Fighter Wing. During his enlistment, Cam served on three deployments to the Middle East during a time of heightened tensions, and increasing activity by extremists in the region. In addition to his security duties, he was entrusted with the additional tasks of rewriting and modernizing the unit's training manuals.