I was born in Fort Lee, Virginia, the son of a professional Army soldier. I attended school in several locations due to my father’s Army assignments, attending a German Catholic Kindergarten when my father served in Vietnam for two years. I graduated from Adolfo Camarillo High School in Southern California and enjoyed playing sports and surfing on the weekends! After high school, I attended the University of California Santa Barbara and was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in 1983.