He was born into a military family in 1975 and lived on military bases until his father's retirement in 1991. He enlisted in the Army after he graduated from high school in 1993, serving with the Army's 3rd Ranger Battalion on active duty from October, 1993 until February, 1998, then in active duty as an Air Force Pararescueman from June, 1998 until March, 2007. He performed one year of reserve duty with the Air Force from August, 2007 to August, 2008.
