Bill Strouse was born in Groton (New London) Connecticut in 1947. Though he had a college deferment, he enlisted for three years in the United States Army in 1966. He served one 12-month tour of duty in Vietnam from December 1967 - December 1968, as a field Radio Telephone Operator and as an Infantry Squad Leader. Following his discharge, he graduated from Texas Christian University in 1972, where he majored in Sociology and minored in Psychology. He went on to graduate from the University of Texas, Arlington, earning a Master's of Science in Social Work, in 1974. Bill moved to Annapolis and spent the summer sailing with his brother-in-law, who died tragically in an automobile accident. Beginning in the fall of 1974, Bill was employed by the then Veterans Administration (VA), where he rotated among several of the inpatient and outpatient units providing services to veterans and their families, including many Vietnam veterans. In 1978, Bill's career in the Federal Civil Service took a sharp turn when he joined the Inspector General's staff. In 1979-1980, Bill ran a store-front counseling center for Vietnam veterans, in South Baltimore, for the VA. In 1979, Bill also received a direct appointment in the Army Reserves where he served as a Lieutenant Colonel until his retirement in 1998. Bill served in a variety of positions and units over the next 19 years, including hospital units, Special Forces, and logistics. He deployed to Bosnia in 1996 with his Civil Affairs unit. Bill continued to work for the VA until 1990, when he transferred to the United States Department of State's IG office. He subsequently went to work for the Office of Overseas Buildings Operations, where he finally retired in 2002. Bill continued to work for the Department of State as a contractor until he made his retirement final in 2009.