Bushling, was stationed at the Army base in Dugway, Utah in May 2011. He left the English Village area in the early morning hours on May 8 and drove out into the desert in a black 2001 Mitsubishi Lancer. At 7:00 p.m., he called a friend in Dugway and left a message, saying he'd run out of gas and was going to try to walk back to the Dugway Proving Ground. He said he was very cold, he'd lost his flip-flops and was using his shirt as footwear, it was raining and he needed help. This was the last anyone had contact with him. Six days later, Bushling's vehicle was found abandoned in a deep ravine off a gravel road in a very isolated area 64 miles from Dugway's main gate. Some of Bushling's belongings were inside the vehicle, but there weren't any clues to indicate his whereabouts. The keys were missing. Two days later, Bushling's Arkansas Razorbacks hat was located in the desert six miles from the car. Searchers also found his flip-flops.