He initially served in the Royal Australian Infantry, before transferring to the Australian Army Legal Corps.  

He has had numerous postings, including deployments on operations and a three-year posting to Special Operations Command.  

• From 2013 to 2020 he was the NSW Panel Leader of the Australian Army Legal Corps, during which time he commanded approximately thirty part-time Army lawyers.   
• Bruce has a high level of expertise in the law of armed conflict and in military discipline law.   He has appeared as counsel for numerous courts martial and boards of inquiry.  
• He has also represented defence members who were the subject of war crimes investigations in Afghanistan by the Brereton Inquiry and by the Office of the Special Investigator.

In 2000, Bruce was engaged in his civilian capacity by the New Zealand Government to sit in East Timor as a Judge Advocate of the New Zealand Defence Force, for which he was awarded New Zealand’s East Timor Medal.

He has also been awarded for his military service the Australian Active Service Medal, the Defence Force Long Service Medal with two clasps, the Australian Defence Medal and a Land Commander’s commendation for “outstanding service”.