The man wanted for the murder of his three daughters has a military background, KIRO 7 News confirmed Wednesday.
Travis Decker is wanted for the murders of 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia, after he failed to return from a planned custody visit Friday.
Their bodies were discovered at a forest campground near Leavenworth Monday.
Decker’s truck, with his wallet at the scene, was found nearby.
According to the National Guard, Decker enlisted in the Army in 2013 as an 11 Bravo infantryman.
During his time in the Army, he went to Fort Benning in 2018. He attended the Non-Commissioned Academy.
According to the Army website, the academy is “A premier academy comprised of disciplined, fit, adaptive, agile, and standards-based leaders, committed to producing the best Signal, Cyber, and Public Affairs Noncommissioned Officers capable of integrating, leading, and supporting commanders to gain decision dominance in multi-domain operations; a values-based team that operates on trust, transparency and accountability, focused on quality of life and the personal and professional development of our people.”
He earned badges while in the Army, including expert infantry and parachutist.
The Expert Infantry Badge (EIB) is a test consisting of a physical assessment, land navigation test, “expert” weapon qualification, a march of 12-miles with a 35-pound load, and other individual tasks, such as first aid, camouflage, map reading, and communications.
The Parachutist Badge is completed by various phases, including jumping out of a plane five times in varying configurations.
In 2021, Decker transferred to Walla Walla National Guard, where he is currently a Sergeant (E5).
According to the National Guard, Decker has not been to drill for approximately a year.
Paperwork for an “administration separation” was started, but hasn’t been completed.
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