As thousands of students prepare to launch their professional careers, one Colorado State University online student is using his new degree to start another phase of his professional life. David Bavencoff will use his studies of anthropology and archeology to help find and repatriate soldiers missing in action.

Bavencoff used to be a law enforcement detective in San Diego while also serving in the military.

"I had a full career in law enforcement," Bavencoff said. "I was injured on duty and medically retired after 33 years."

Bavencoff served in the Army, Army reserve as well as the Coast Guard reserve during his time serving in the military. However, after retirement he did not want to let his skillset and dedication to country go to waste.

"I shopped around and found the CSU (online) program, and it fit my needs perfectly. It had the best curriculum that I was looking for, and that's how I ended up here," Bavencoff said.

He ultimately joined the nonprofit , an organization that helps locate and recover soldiers missing in action. They then help reunite the soldiers remains with their families.

Through his studies Bavencoff was able to find similarities between his time serving the country, his time investigating crimes and his new journey.

"There's actually a lot of similarities between archeology and investigations, detective work specifically. Because you are looking for the evidence and clues to find answers to questions people don't have," Bavencoff said.

Bavencoff said his new role and studies will help him carry on a promise he made when he joined the service.

"In the military we like to say we never leave a man behind. It is not really realistic a lot of times depending on the circumstance, but if the opportunity arises where we can go and try and keep that promise, we should go and do it," Bavencoff said.

Since 1939 more than 81,000 U.S. soldiers have been listed as missing in action. Of those, more than 87% are soldiers who served during WWII, Bavencoff said.

While a majority of the soldiers they are looking for were in planes that crashed during WWII, Bavencoff said his team does also conduct searches for soldiers from other wars including the Korean War, Vietnam War and more.

"We spend a lot of effort boots on the ground trying to find that crash site. Whether it be on the land or underwater. A lot of it is diving related," Bavencoff said.

Bavencoff said Project Recover have traveled around the world and already successfully reunited hundreds of soldiers with their families.

He said he would use his degree at CSU to continue that effort, allowing more families to have their loved ones back home.

"Almost the entire town turns out to celebrate that this person came home. It matters to these families, it absolutely matters to these families," Bavencoff said.

"Does it matter to you to?" asked CBS News Colorado's Dillon Thomas.

"It matters to me as well," Bavencoff said.