Derek Duplisea

Hometown – Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Branch of Service- Canadian Army, 031 Infantryman
Rank- Master Corporal
Branch of Service – US Army, 19D4P Cavalry Scout.
Rank – Sergeant 1st Class
Awards -Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, numerous other Operational Awards, Medals, Ribbons and Commendations. US & Canadian Airborne Qualified AATW
Theater – Iraq

Derek was born in the United States and raised in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. He began his military career with the 1st Battalion, Royal New Brunswick Regiment (Carleton & York), serving five years as an infantryman and leaving the Canadian Armed Forces as a Master Corporal before enlisting in the U.S. Army.

He joined the U.S. Army in December 1993 as a 19D Cavalry Scout. After completing Armored Reconnaissance Specialist OSUT at Fort Knox, Kentucky, he earned his U.S. Army Jump Wings and was assigned to D Company, 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 73rd Armor Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

From 1998 to 2000, Derek served with the Scout Platoon, HHC 2‑8 CAV, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. During this time, he deployed in support of Operation Joint Guard/Joint Forge in the Former Yugoslavia, operating primarily in Bosnia‑Herzegovina. In 2000, he was selected for U.S. Army recruiting duty and stationed in Bellingham, Washington.

Derek later deployed to Iraq with Ghost Troop, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (Fort Polk, Louisiana), serving as a senior scout during Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003–04). After returning to the United States, he was assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Within a year, he deployed for a second tour in Iraq with Blackhorse Troop, 1‑32 CAV (RSTA), 1BCT, 101st Airborne Division (AASLT), again serving as a senior scout. He was soon promoted to Sergeant First Class and became the Platoon Sergeant for 2nd Platoon, Able Troop.

During this deployment, Derek was leading a patrol when his unit was struck by a female suicide bomber and engaged by heavy small‑arms fire. The blast detonated within feet of the dismounted platoon members, severely wounding Derek and three of his soldiers. He spent two years recovering from his injuries before medically retiring from the Army.

Derek has been an Associate with the WWIA Foundation since 2010 and has led events across the United States and Canada. He graduated from the inaugural WWIA Guide School in 2016. He is the proud father of four children, three daughters and a teenage son. And just became a Grampie with the birth of his grandson in Bangor, Maine in August of 2025. 

In his free time, Derek enjoys traveling, hiking, camping, hunting and fishing with friends and family. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Troy University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He currently lives in New England and works as a mental health professional, managing an adult crisis unit in Calais, Maine