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.