Veterans Day in the Valley: Honoring a Local Marine Who Keeps Serving

In the Phoenix Valley, strength takes a lot of forms.

Sometimes it looks like a construction crew rolling out before sunrise — trucks lined up, tools ready, and the first pot of coffee gone before 6 a.m. And sometimes it looks like a Marine who lost a leg in Afghanistan and is still finding ways to build a life, a home, and a community right here in Arizona.

Today, on Veterans Day, we pause to honor that kind of strength — the kind that keeps showing up.

A Story of Service and Grit

Meet U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Brad Ivanchan, a Valley resident whose story has come to represent the courage and perseverance of so many veterans across Phoenix.

At nineteen, Brad enlisted and went on to lead a machine-gun team in Afghanistan. In 2012, an IED blast changed everything — costing him his left leg and severely damaging his right. His recovery took years of surgeries and therapy, but what never changed was his resolve.

When Brad eventually made his way to Arizona, the community showed up for him — neighbors, volunteers, and organizations like the Gary Sinise Foundation, which set out to build him a fully adapted smart home designed for independence and everyday life.

When Service Meets Service

In 2022, our DX crew joined the Gary Sinise Foundation’s R.I.S.E. (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment) program to help make Brad’s home a reality. We provided roll-off dumpsters and debris hauling throughout the build, working alongside dozens of tradespeople, veterans, and volunteers who poured their time, skill, and heart into the project.

For us, it wasn’t just another job site. It was a reminder of why we do this work in the first place — to help build what matters.

You can read the full story here:
👉 Dumpstr Xpress Joins the Gary Sinise Foundation in Building a Smart Home for USMC Cpl. Brad Ivanchan

What Service Looks Like After the Uniform

For Brad, “service” didn’t end with his time in the Marines. These days, it looks like mentoring other vets, volunteering with local adaptive-athletics programs, and showing up for his neighbors around the Valley. He’s proof that rebuilding isn’t just about walls and foundations — it’s about people.

That same idea drives what we do every day at DX.
Behind every dumpster we drop, there’s someone building something new: a home, a business, a life after hard times. Our work is about clearing the way so progress can happen — and that’s not so different from what veterans like Brad do every day, even after service.

The Spirit of the Valley

Phoenix is a city built on renewal. The name says it all — rise from the ashes, rebuild stronger. It’s a spirit we see on every construction site and in every person who keeps going after life takes a turn.

Veterans remind us what that really looks like: perseverance, teamwork, and quiet leadership. They’ve carried those values from the battlefield back into our neighborhoods, job sites, and daily lives.

A DX-Style Thank You

So today, we don’t just say “thank you” — we mean it. Thank you, Cpl. Brad Ivanchan, and every veteran across the Phoenix Valley who keeps building, serving, and strengthening this community we all share.

Your resilience reminds us what hard work and heart can do. We’re proud to have stood beside you — and to keep doing our part to build a Valley that reflects your courage.

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If you know a veteran whose story should be told, drop us a message. We’d love to keep highlighting the people who make this place what it is.