PERSON: Sean Parnell

U.S. Army (Fmr.)

Army Ranger (Fmr.)

At age 24, U.S. Army Ranger Sean Parnell was named commander of the legendary 10th Mountain Division—a 40-man elite infantry platoon known as the Outlaws. When tasked with rooting out Pakistan-based insurgents in Afghanistan, little did he know he’d be facing 16 months of close combat against a seasoned force of light infantry. After receiving two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart, the Pennsylvania native retired as a captain and is currently working on his Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Parnell recounts how the fight in Afghanistan reshaped his life and the lives of his men in his text Outlaw Platoon.

— redstate.com