Kris Paronto

AKA: "Tanto" nickname

Born ≈ 1971 Alamosa, CO (USA)

Longtime Omaha area resident Kris "Tanto" Paronto became publicly known for his actions as part of the CIA annex security team at the U.S. embassy in in Benghazi, Libya when the embassy was attacked by terrorists in 2012. A former Army Ranger from 2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment, he was a private security contractor at the annex in Benghazi. He is listed among the co-authors of 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi and was portrayed in the 2016 film 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. He has also written a self-improvement guide, The Ranger Way: Living the Code On and Off the Battlefield, 2017.

See Steve Liewer, "Omahan in Benghazi in 2012 faults CIA station chief’s stand-down order," Omaha World-Herald e-edition, 09-08-2014.

Author Of

Nonfiction

Keywords

Military Affairs; Contemporary History; Military Contractors

Education

Mesa State College, CO
University of Nebraska-Omaha, graduate degree

Occupation

Soldier
Military Contractor
Author

Associations

Tanya Cate, assistant volleyball coach, University of Nebraska-Omaha

Bibliography

13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi. (as co-author with principal author Mitchell Zuckoff) 2014.
The Ranger Way: Living the Code On and Off the Battlefield. 2017.

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