 He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1988 and was a Spanish language cryptologist and linguist who worked in counter-drug missions in Central and South America.He returned to active duty in January 2002 as a platoon leader and executive officer at the company level and then as detachment commander for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.During his time in the Iraq War, Tinderholt and ten other American soldiers lived with and trained an Iraqi Special Forces Battalion.