Raised in Madelia, MN and Oxnard, CA; Zak joined the US Air Force in 1994 and served until 2013. His first major deployment was to Saudi Arabia in 1996, after the Khobar Towers bombing. He helped start the process of moving Air Force equipment and personnel to Prince Sultan Air Base, but was eventually forward deployed to Oman.
Following his first deployment, Zak was further deployed to Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, and back to the Middle East multiple times over his 20 years.
While in the service, during his off-duty time, Zak traveled as much as he could, participating in events such as Oktoberfest in Munich, celebrating New Year’s in Paris, running with the Bulls in Spain, rafting the Rhine River in Germany, snorkeling in the Persian Gulf, deep sea fishing in Puerto Rico, and hiking the Tian Shan mountain range in Kyrgyzstan, just to name a few.
Zak currently resides in Rochester MN with his wife Michelle, and 2 children.
