ENDORSEMENT OF THE 31st COMBAT VETERAN FOR CONGRESS TO RUN IN MONTANA’S 2nd CONG DISTRICT IN 2022                       

Combat Veterans For Congress---Embedded Integrity
The Combat Veterans For Congress PAC is endorsing Congressman Ryan Zinke, Cdr/USN (Ret) (SEAL) to run for Congress in 2022.  Cong Zinke was previously endorsed as the 92nd of 143 endorsed Combat Veteran For Congress in 13 years, http://www.ryanzinke.com/.   Cong Zinke is a third generation Montanan from Whitefish, Montana and is running for the newly apportioned 2nd Congressional District of Montana.  

Cong Zinke is a fiscally conservative candidate who will work to rein in the out-of-control spending by irresponsible members of Congress, will work to reduce the national debt, and will work toward unleashing the private sector to grow once again, create jobs, and stimulate private sector business investment; he believes in an efficient government that serves the people and upholds the highest standards of integrity and transparency.  Congressman Zinke is a strong advocate for traditional family values, restoring individual and economic freedoms, national energy independence, and for maintaining a strong and capable US military establishment.   

Ryan Zinke was born in Bozeman, Montana on November 1, 1961, and raised in Whitefish, Montana.  Ryan attended Whitefish High School and was multiple sports All-State stand-out; he was inducted into the Whitefish High School Football Hall of Fame, and served as class president during his sophomore, junior, and senior years.  In May 1980, Ryan graduated from the Whitefish High School in Whitefish, Montana.   

In August 1980, Ryan was accepted on an athletic scholarship at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon; he was a four-year varsity athlete.  Ryan received numerous awards including All-Pacific TEN Honors, the Pacific TEN Medal, the University Ahlstrom Award, and the prestigious Emerald Cup for academic, athletic, and leadership excellence.  Ryan graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geology from the University of Oregon in May 1984.  In June 1990 he received a Master’s in Business Administration in Finance from National University in San Diego, California.  In June 2003, he received a Master of Science Degree in Global Leadership from the University of San Diego, in San Diego, California.

Ryan Zinke was inducted into the US Navy in February 1985 on entry to Officer’s Candidate School in Newport at the US Naval Base, Newport, Rhode Island, and upon graduation in June 1985 he was commissioned as an Ensign in the US Navy.  In June 1985, he entered Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training (BUDS) at the US Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, CA, in Class 136, and graduated in January 1986.  He subsequently went thru SEAL delivery Vehicle Operations Course, Basic Airborne Training, Military Free Fall Training, Static Line and Free Fall Jumpmaster Training.  He was then assigned to SEAL Team ONE in Coronado, CA.  In June 1987 Ensign Zinke was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade.  From 1987 to 1989 SEAL Team ONE participated in Southeast Asian Operations in the Philippines against the NPA terrorists.  Lt (Jg) Zinke was promoted to Lieutenant in June 1988 and in July 1989 Lt Zinke was awarded the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

In 1990 while assigned to SEAL Team ONE, Lt Zinke led counterinsurgency and contingency operations in the Pacific Theatre of Operations and was awarded his second Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal.  In 1991 during Operations Desert Storm SEAL Team ONE engaged in Operations.  In 1993 Lt Zinke engaged in operations in Bosnia and was awarded the Joint Services Commendation Medal.  In June 1995, Lt Zinke was promoted to Lieutenant Commander.  From 1996-99 Lcdr Zinke engaged in operations in Bosnia and was awarded two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, his second Joint Services Commendation Medal, two Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals, various Service and Campaign Medals.  In December 2000, Lcdr Zinke was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, in April 2001, he was awarded his 2nd Meritorious Service Medal, and in June 2001, Lcdr Zinke was promoted to Commander.  

Cdr Zinke was selected as a member of SEAL Team SIX, where he was a Team Leader, Ground Force Commander, Task Force Commander, and Operations Officer in support of National Command Authority missions.  Cdr Zinke served as the Special Operations Officer in Europe and in 2001 he led the first exercise between former Soviet Special Forces & Naval Special Warfare Forces and served as the SEAL Commander of Joint Task Force TWO in support of Special Operations missions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Kosovo.  In January 2002, Cdr Zinke was awarded the Army Commendation Medal.  In 2004, Cdr Ryan Zinke was assigned as Deputy and Commander (acting), Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula in support of Iraqi Freedom where he led a force of 3500 Special Operations personnel in Iraq in the conduct of 360 combat patrols, 48 Direct Action Missions, and hundreds of sensitive operations.  In May and June 2006, Cdr Zinke was awarded two Bronze Star Medals and his 3rd Meritorious Service Medal, various Service and Campaign Medals, for combat operations in Iraq.

In 2006, Cdr Zinke’s final duty assignment in the Navy was to establish the Naval Special Warfare Advanced Training Command, where he served as “Dean” of the Naval Special Warfare Graduate School with a staff of over 250 educators, which provided over forty-three college level courses to over 2500 students annually at 15 separate locations world-wide.  In December 2007, Cdr Zinke was awarded his 4thMeritorious Service Medal.   

In February 2008, Cdr Ryan Zinke retired from active duty with an Honorable Discharge from the US Navy after serving 23 years as a Navy SEAL Officer.  Cdr Zinke’s military awards include the Bronze Star Medal (Gold Star for 2nd award), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (Gold Star for 2nd award), Meritorious Service Medal (3 Gold Stars for 4th award), Joint Services Commendation Medal (Gold Star for 2ndaward), Army Commendation Medal, Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal (Gold Star for 2nd award), Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2 Gold Stars for 3rd award), the Combat Action Ribbon, the Joint Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon, the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the SEAL Warfare Insignia, the Navy/Marine Corps Parachute Insignia, and various Service and Campaign Medals.  

Following his Honorable Discharge from the US Navy in March 2008, Ryan Zinke began his business career.  In 2008, Ryan Zinke became the CEO of Continental Divide Consulting firm that specializes in advanced technology in the industries of aerospace, oil and gas, and national security.  He served as Director of the Montana Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Center for Remote Integration, Montana Firearms Institute (MFI), and is President and Founder of the Great Northern Peace Park Foundation.  In 2008, Cdr Zinke was elected to the Montana State Senate, Chaired the Senate Education Committee, served on the Senate Finance Committee, and served on the Claims Committee.  

State Senator Ryan Zinke served as the volunteer Chairman of Special Operations for America PAC (SOFA) and resigned his chairmanship in September 2013 to run for the US House of Representatives.  State Senator Zinke announced his candidacy for Montana's at-large congressional district, a seat vacated when its Republican incumbent Cong Steve Daines who successfully sought a seat in the U.S. Senate.  Cdr Ryan Zinke was elected to Congress in 2014, re-elected in 2016, and served until 2017, when he was appointed as Secretary of The Interior in the Trump administration.  Secretary Zinke served in that position until his resignation in January 2019.  In January 2019, Ryan Zinke accepted the position of Managing Director of Artillery One, a cryptocurrency investment firm.  In April 2021, Secretary Zinke announced that he will seek election to Montana’s newly apportioned 2nd Congressional District. 

Ryan Zinke is a member of the NRA, the VFW, the Underwater Demolition Team/SEAL Association, the Montana Petroleum Association, Founder of the Montana Firearms Institute, and the University of Oregon Alumni Association.  Ryan Zinke was twice selected as one of the Most Outstanding Young Men in America in 1996 and 1997.   He has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT-Senate), Petty Officer First Class Marcus Luttrell (SEAL) (Navy Cross recipient, and author of “Lone Survivor”), Cdr Gary Stubblefield (SEAL), MajGen Paul Vallely (USA/Ret), former JSOC Deputy Commander MajGen Dale Stovall (USA/Ret), and the Combat Veterans For Congress PAC.  He has been married to the former Lolita Hand for 27 years, and they have two sons, Wolfgang age 25, and Konrad age 23; Ryan has a daughter, Jennifer, age 37, who is a former US Navy Diver and is married to a US Navy SEAL. 

The Combat Veterans For Congress PAC is pleased to endorse Congressman Ryan Zinke, Cdr/USN (Ret) (SEAL) who will again bring to Congress his experience as Secretary of the Interior, his previous experience as a member of Congress, and his private sector skills to better solve problems in government and represent the 2nd Congressional District of Montana and the Republic.  If you review Congressman Zinke’s positions on his Web site, you would be pleased with his stances; they agree with the Combat Veterans For Congress Mission Statement.  We look forward to working with Cong Zinke, and are pleased that a Combat Veteran of his caliber is running for Congress.  

If you have friends, associates, or relatives who know voters in the 2nd Congressional District of Montana, kindly pass this E-mail on to them, and ask them to support Cong Zinke by working in his campaign, providing financial support for his campaign in any amount, and/or by networking with others who would be willing to support his campaign.  The military is one of the few remaining institutions producing the caliber of men and women needed to restore this nation to the greatness our Founding Fathers envisioned.  We have endorsed another Combat Veteran For Congress that General George Washington would have approved of.  He is a Veteran who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America” for an amount “up to and including his life.”