Bucca had served in the United States Army as a Green Beret during the Vietnam War.

As such, he was one of the people who investigated the 1993 World Trade Center bombing[3] and the FDNY representative on the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

[2] After responding to the September 11, 2001 attacks, Bucca ascended to the impact zone at the Sky Lobby on the 78th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center, along with Battalion Chief Orio Palmer.

[4] The two men, both experienced marathon runners, are believed to have made it to the highest floor of any first responders in either tower before the building collapsed.

The award is given to a military reservist who demonstrates excellence in fulfilling the counterterrorism mission, the area that Bucca worked while at DIA.