1971-1974 - Buckles received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wyoming and his Juris Doctor from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas.
- He is a member of the Kansas State Bar.
1995 - He was the deputy director of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF).
1999-2003 - He became director of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF).