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KRIS "TANTO" PARONTO
From a young age, Kris “Tanto” Paronto has been driven to succeed. His close-knit family includes his mother, a teacher, and father, a former collegiate football coach. His years alongside his father on the field proved to be incredibly formative in honing his athletic prowess and commitment to academic achievement. Education is highly prized in the Paronto family. After graduating high school in Grand Junction, Colorado, he went on to become a Junior All-American football player at Dixie College (now Dixie State University) in St. George, Utah. Before gaining his Bachelor’s Degree from Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado, he obtained his associate’s degree.
As Kris’s successes on the field began to fade, the call of an Army recruiter in the student Union answered his need for continuing to be a team player. Paronto enlisted and spent four years as a U.S. Army Ranger, 2/75 Ranger Bn., and then an additional four years in the U.S. Army National Guard as a commissioned officer until 2003. That same year, he left the military and took up contracting, and over the next ten years, his work took him across the world, including Central and South America, the Middle East, and Africa. During this period, he also earned a Master’s in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska Omaha.
Paronto is perhaps most known for his valiant efforts in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, the events memorialized by Michael Bay’s movie 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. The film is inspired by the book 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi, which Paronto co-wrote with American journalism professor Mitchell Zuckoff and other members of the Benghazi security team. After returning home, Paronto continues to be very active in the public eye and is now a well-respected author, motivational speaker, and businessman. This event has given Paronto the platform to speak on Veteran issues on an international scale, and today he connects with individuals to share his experiences in a variety of ways.
His most recent ventures include the publication of two additional books; U.S.A. Today’s best-seller The Ranger Way: Living the Code On and Off the Battlefield in 2017, and The Patriot's Creed in 2019. Both are self-help books and are inspiring accounts of Paronto’s experiences. He is the owner and lead instructor of Battleline Tactical, which promotes tactical weapons education and training. In addition to his written publications, Paronto also is a co-host of the Battleline Podcast with Ian Scotto, which focuses on Veteran-related issues and content. When not with his wife and three children, Paronto focuses on charitable initiatives. In 2016 founded the 14th Hour Foundation, which focuses on providing services and support to first responders and military veterans.
BEN MORGAN
Ben Morgan is a former member of 1st Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regt. and former U.S. Army Infantry Officer. Ben’s family boasts a long and proud history of honorable military service stretching back to the Revolutionary War. Both of his parents served in Vietnam, his father a dust-off pilot and his mother a nurse, and both of his grandfathers and one of his grandmothers served in WWII.
While earning his B.A. in History from Colorado State University (Go Rams!), Ben was part of the Colorado National Guard/ROTC Simultaneous Membership Program, serving in the 19th Special Forces Group and Colorado State ROTC. After commissioning as a 2nd Lieutenant, Ben attended the US Army Flight School. While there, he developed an inner ear problem and was no longer medically cleared to fly. Ben finished out his time on active duty as an Infantry Officer working at the Joint Readiness Training Center while training and competing in the Army Best Ranger competition in 2005. After leaving the Army, Ben spent time in Iraq working for the Department of Defense as a firearms and Close Quarters Battle Instructor teaching Iraqi and coalition forces. From there, Ben continued working as a government contractor and spent time in Africa as part of the Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance Program (ACOTA), training battalion-level staff officers to prepare for peace and support operations in Darfur. Following this experience, he went to work for the U.S. State Department’s High Threat Protection program in Baghdad, Iraq. During that time, Ben received a career-ending back injury as the result of a rocket attack on the US Embassy.
After returning to the United States, Ben settled into his role as a husband and stay-at-home father to his young twins. In addition to his physical scars, his experiences left him with emotional wounds as well. He fell into a deep depression during his recovery which challenged him both physically and emotionally. With the love and support of his wife, along with his children and friends, today Ben is a lead instructor with Battleline Tactical, and his inspiring story is included in Kris Paronto’s most recent book, The Patriot’s Creed. He hopes his experience continues to inspire and give strength to others who face similar challenges, and he looks forward to the next chapter with TANTO Vodka.
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3104 North Nevada Ave
STE 120
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
719-999-5148
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