Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Mwanakomana womufundisi weU.S. Army, Groves akagara munzvimbo dzakasiyana-siyana dzeU.S. Army paaiva muduku. Muna 1918, akapedza kudzidza ari wechina mukirasi yake paU.S. Military Academy paWest Point uye akagadzwa muU.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Muna 1929, akaenda kuNicaragua sechikamu chetsvakurudzo kuti aongorore Inter-Oceanic Nicaragua Canal. Kutevera
1931 kudengenyeka kwenyika, Groves akatora Managua's water supply system, iyo yaakapiwa nayo Nicaraguan Presidential Medal of Merit. Akapinda Chikoro cheCommand and General Staff kuFort Leavenworth, Kansas, muna 1935 na1936; uye Army War College muna 1938 na1939, mushure mezvo akatumirwa kuWar Department General Staff. Groves akava "nomukurumbira wokuita basa, wokutyaira, uye wokuomerera pabasa" uye muna 1940 akava mubatsiri chaiye wokuvaka kuna Quartermaster General, ane basa rokuongorora nzvimbo dzokuvaka uye kuongorora kufambira mberi kwadzo. Muna August 1941, akagadzwa kuti agadzire chivako chikuru chemahofisi chevashandi 40 000 veDhipatimendi Rehondo icho pakupedzisira chaizova Pentagon.