13 HOURS -THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI

13 HOURS
The secret soldiers of Benghazi
Exclusive Interview with Mark “Oz” Geist + Kris “Tanto” Paronto + John “Tig” Tiegen
By: Daniel Del Valle & George Beck

In the evening hours of September 11, 2012, on the volatile ground of Benghazi, Libya, Islamic militants gathered on the outskirts of the American diplomatic compound. Without warning, they attacked the compound and set it afire, killing U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, 52, and U.S. Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith, 34.

A few hours later at the CIA Annex about a mile from the first assault, Islamic militants stormed the annex with machine guns, rockets and mortar. The Battle of Benghazi raged for 13 perilous hours. Six Americans had the courage to stand up and do what was right. Two of these heroes, Glen “Bub” Doherty, 42, and Tyrone “Rone” Woods, 41 –both former Navy Seals—were killed in the firefight at the CIA Annex.

When the smoke cleared and the surviving members of the Annex Security Team arrived home and began to heal and go about their lives, they noticed a stunning pattern: the true account of the terrorism attack was being whitewashed and misrepresented by some politicians and the mainstream media. Three of them, Mark “Oz” Geist, Kris “Tanto” Paronto, and John “Tig” Tiegen decided to go public and set the record straight to honor the sacrifice of the fallen, and ensure the world knew the truth. They teamed up with author Mitchell Zuckoff, and in 2014, the bestselling book: 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi appeared on shelves worldwide, and shortly thereafter was adapted into a feature film directed by Michael Bay.

Here is an exclusive uncensored interview with Mark “Oz” Geist, Kris “Tanto” Paronto, and John “Tig” Tiegen. Because of a tight deadline, each interview was conducted separately, yet they seem to speak with one voice.

Tell us about yourself. What is something nobody knows about you?

KRIS: I was a pyromaniac when I was in elementary school. I was fascinated by fire. I burned my eyebrows off once and started a large fire when I was in elementary school that burned about 100 acres of land.

John: Everyone knows I’m kind of quiet. I don’t know if there is anything no one really doesn’t know about me. I’m a hobby farmer. I got some cattle and some chickens and stuff like that.

What were the thought processes behind why you sought to write the book?

KRIS: To tell the truth and show the Battle of Benghazi as an inspirational story and to take it back from the misrepresentation of the mainstream media and politicians.

Mark: To honor the four who sacrificed their lives by bringing the truth to a story the politicians had brought to the public eye.

John: Doing it was pretty easy, because the politicians hijacked the story for their own benefit. The truth was four guys were being honored and the truth was not being told correctly. So we all got fed up with it and wanted to put it out there to make sure it was told correctly.

When you made the decision to write the book and go public with the story, did anyone try and interfere with you or the publication of the book?

John: No. It’s not like we came back and did the book. We all deployed still. Mark and Chris both went into the agency and told them what they were going to do. They pretty much said if you are going to do it, make sure you go through the proper channels. We never really got any pushback. The agency had the book for a real long time. Maybe that was their angle of a pushback, but other than that, there was really nothing.

Was there any sort of political pressure, such as threats or suggestions that you would not be employable again as a contractor, or that you would be saddled with lawsuits?

KRIS: The CIA told our lawyer that they could file a civil forfeiture against us and we did have to resign from the CIA to do the project.

John: We were told if we did the book we couldn’t work for them anymore because our names were going to be out there. Even the other guys who did not use their true names were forced to quit as well.

As a result of your experiences, have you experienced any symptoms of PTSD, and if so did you also experience a sense of growth from it?

KRIS: I was diagnosed with PTS (I don’t believe it should be labeled as a disorder) in 2007 and continued to deploy with it. And yes, I have had positive personal growth. I know how to handle PTS and speak to those on overcoming it.

Mark: First off, it’s not PTSD. We drop the “D” because it’s not a disorder. It’s just Post Traumatic Stress. PTS. Yes everyone comes out the other end with growth, both personal and emotional. Even if PTS is involved, it’s growth; and not all growth is positive unless you choose to make it so. It’s your mindset and determination to move forward and not let circumstance and or events determine the outcome.

John: We don’t really call it PTSD—more like anxiety. There are a lot of military factors, so they don’t want to say PTSD because we won’t be able to have weapons and stuff like that. They are afraid that they will start taking everyone’s guns that has PTSD or whatever.

To John: So they call it like anxiety and you are seeing someone for it?

Yeah… Obviously, they have me on some meds that the wife says works, so I keep taking them. It makes her happy. When I came home, I had a lot of anger issues. I guess because of the way the media was handling it and just some other stuff, like when they dumped the guys off the roof … It was just a lot of anger.

Prior to this incident, did you try and keep the details and dangers of your jobs from your wives and families and if so, how has the very public knowledge of the dangers you have faced affected them and your relationships?

KRIS: I didn’t talk about them a whole bunch because I didn’t feel it was necessary. Yes the pressure has affected my personal life. I’m divorced again. The aftereffects of Benghazi and the tours prior do take a toll.

Mark: Of course I have protected my family from the dangers of my job, but they also knew where I worked but not the details. The dangers being public haven’t affected our relationship but the events in general have. It’s brought us closer together as a family and made us stronger for having gone through these troubles.

John: Yeah the wife, she kind of knew. It wasn’t the first time we’ve been in a conflict. But other than that nobody in my family knew what I did at all. They didn’t know who I was working for. All they knew was that I went overseas and that’s it. I don’t think it really changed the relationship with anybody. I don’t think my friends look at me any different. They don’t treat me any different, which is good.

How have you peers treated you since the book and film became public?

KRIS: Very positive. We are showing the heroism and sacrifice contractors make. Taking it away from the misrepresentations the administration and mainstream media made showing contractors as cold-blooded mercenaries.

Mark: Just fine. No issues.

John: More positive than negative. Some of the guys we used to work for, they don’t like that we came out public. Some of them just have that mindset that it’s your duty to stay quiet and not come out and tell this. I’d say a very few amount of people didn’t like it aside from politicians.

Who do you personally feel bore the responsibility for the inaction of the U.S government or military to come to your aid?

KRIS: Department of State.

John: It also comes down to the president because he is in charge of the military—at least that’s his main job. Then it goes down to the secretary of defense and the joint chief of staff. Their inaction… I mean you can see the emails that are coming out. It’s proven everything that’s been said before, they were ready to go, and they just weren’t given the order to go in. I would say to me it comes down from the higher ups.

The film never made any mention of political figures such as Hillary Clinton or President Obama. What are your feelings toward them and do you think they played a role in the deaths of those who were killed and injured in the attack?

KRIS: I have no feelings toward either. I believe both should see the movie along with all politicians so they can remember what selfless service is. Politicians forget that they are supposed to put others before their own self-interests. 13 Hours epitomizes self sacrifice by my teammates.

John: …It’s kind of hard to blame Hillary because she is kind of like a figurehead. She just stamps paperwork and probably doesn’t even read 90 percent of them. To me, it lies on Charlene Lamb and [Patrick] Kennedy because they are the ones who truly turned down the security from the state guys and the ambassador. But for her to really not know that they were turning it down—because it had been attacked twice prior to 9/11— to me it just shows she is an incompetent leader, and that she’s just in way over her head and she doesn’t know what she is doing. She has one department to run, and she has a base out there that has been attacked twice and requested security prior to the first time it was attacked. She doesn’t respond to it at all; it’s kind of sad.

At the end of the movie, it tells how the Chief got an award and retired with honor, and yet you men were the true heroes. How has the CIA treated you?

KRIS: From the leadership, not good, like we did something wrong coming forward and telling the true story. The guys on the ground still operating have treated us very well and thankful for the story and for showing their continued sacrifices.

John: Well, they haven’t come after us yet (laughing). Some of the guys still talk to us, and there are guys in the office who don’t like it. But, there are other people who have said that they are glad that we did it. Like I’ve said, as long as they don’t come looking for us, I’ll be fine.

During the intense battle, was there a moment when you thought you would die? Who did you think about when the firefight was at its height?

KRIS: Nope. Never thought I would die. My faith in God and letting Him have control keeps the fear away and lets you do your job. Briefly I thought about my last conversation with my family, which was positive.

Mark: No I didn’t think I’d die. You cannot think like that or you will die. During the firefight I was only thinking about killing them and protecting those who I’m responsible for and making sure everyone else lives.

John: I never really thought I would die… Especially when it’s at its height, you’re just thinking about your objective in front of you. We call it looking for work so you’re just focused on that. But during the lulls in the fight, I start thinking I’ve got twins, and if I do die they will never know who I was. That kind of thing comes to you, but during a firefight, it never comes to mind. You just focus on the task in front of you.

Initially it was claimed the attack was because of retaliation for an anti-Muslim video. Did you initially believe this, or did you know right away it was false?

KRIS: We knew it was false immediately. My thought when I saw Susan Rice laying out the false storyline was “this is just typical.”

John: Yeah, we knew right away. For them to come out and say that, it is a slap in the face in the DS agents that were protecting the ambassador. If it was retaliation and a protest like they kept claiming, they would have heard the protesters before they started attacking. That’s kind of saying they were totally oblivious to the surroundings around them. Obviously, we were going to ask them what happened. They told us they were sitting at the pool, and one guy came walking around the corner and said there was a ton of people on the property. That was it—that’s when they knew they were there. We knew there was no protest and there was nothing about a video.

Knowing and seeing what you have in this world, what advice can you give to all the law enforcement officers out there?

KRIS: Train, train hard! Make it as realistic as possible. Have a strong faith in yourself, your brothers and God. And, no matter what you come across, no matter how bad the situation, never ever quit. You can overcome any obstacle!

Mark: Never give up. Always move forward, trust in yourself, always keep training, expect the unexpected, and don’t forget the people who we serve.

John: Just be prepared because it is coming here. It’s not going to be overseas anymore. There are bigger things, so just watch your back. Some cops don’t like civilians being armed, but the more armed, trained civilians you have, the less likely big terrorist attacks are going to happen at home.

How serious is the jihadi threat against police in this country? Are our political leaders blind to the true threat?

KRIS: The threat is very real as has been displayed recently. I don’t believe they’re blind; I believe they’re purposely downplaying the threat.

Mark: The terrorist threat is very real and we must train our police how to approach this threat. Take a proactive approach not just reactive. But it is a very fine line we must walk because our duty is to protect our citizens not only from the physical threats against their lives and loved ones, but also to ensure their rights afforded by the very constitution we swear to uphold. If we chip at our Constitution because of fear of a threat, they win. And that cannot happen. We as a nation and as its citizens must accept that to have freedom; true freedom comes at a price. The government can’t protect every citizen from every danger. It is our responsibility to take care of ourselves, our families, and each other when necessary.

John: Right now, yeah they are. A lot of cops are easy targets because they are by themselves. And they’re always concentrating, they can’t just focus outwards… sometimes they’re on the computer like that one cop where the dude just walked up and started shooting at him. Honestly, I think cops need to start having armored windows—maybe even not just armored vehicles, but maybe something at least to stop one A-K round or something. It’s not going to get any better, not until they start calling the terrorist what a terrorist is.

How vulnerable is America to another terrorist attack?

KRIS: I think an attack on a large scale is less likely than 09/11/2001, but small lone wolf type attacks are greater than they have ever been.

What additional advice do you have for law enforcement?

KRIS: Stay continually vigilant. Take your job as civil servants seriously, not just as another paycheck. And believe in your fellow officers. Be nice until it’s time to not be nice (smiles).

Mark: Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight. Have a backup plan because when the shooting starts your first plan goes out the window. Always have a tourniquet within reach, on your person, in the car, etc. Take care of yourself first then when the shooting stops take care of your partner. If you get shot while trying to render aid to your partners you become ineffective. Most of all serve with honor, you have been given the responsibility of our people’s freedom. Don’t take that lightly.

Is there something else beyond telling your story that you would like to do?

KRIS: I am just going to continue to experience life.

Mark: Yes. Pass on the knowledge and experience that I have gained to the next generation of warriors (military, contractors and law enforcement).

John: I’m still trying to figure that one out. I thought maybe I would go back and do a 9 to 5 job, but I don’t think I could do that. It’s hard to say. I’ll probably just keep telling the story. We have a couple of motivational and leadership things Mark and I do. There are a couple of training things we want to do for law enforcement. Honestly, there are all kinds of opportunities out there, and

I just have to figure out what I really want to do.

Given what the three of you have been through, if you had the opportunity to speak to the next president of the United States on the day he takes his oath of office, what would you say?

KRIS: Your job is to give yourself for the betterment of the U.S. You are not all knowing, and remember pride is a deadly sin... and have the utmost integrity when making decisions.

Mark: First listen to those you have in the field, those on the ground. We are the greatest nation in this world. We have the ability to provide our warriors with the greatest equipment and training available, so let’s do that. Those serving our country deserve our very best!!

John: I would say freakin’ take the handcuffs off the troops and let them take care of business. Take the lawyers out of combat and this thing would have been over within a month. Let them do their job. If we had these kinds of restraints in WWI and WWII, we never would have won. We’d be speaking German or Japanese right now.

Lighter side questions…

What’s your favorite movie?

KRIS: 13 Hours (laughing)

Mark: 13 Hours (laughing)

John: 13 Hours, man (laughing)… Besides that one, I’ve watched Full Metal Jacket quite a bit. I think that’s what got me into the Marine Corps.

Favorite baseball team?

KRIS: NY Yankees

Mark: The Rockies

John: No, not really. I don’t really follow baseball that much.

Favorite football team?

KRIS: Dallas Cowboys.

Mark: Denver Broncos, of course.

John: I’ve got to go with the Broncos. I live in Colorado.

Favorite actor?

KRIS: Pablo Schreiber.

Mark: Max Martini.

John: Dominic Fumusa, the guy who played me.

What is your strongest and weakest quality?

KRIS: I don’t know. I don’t have either strongest or weakest.

John: I really don’t know. My wife would say my loyalty to people is my weakest quality. I’m always too nice to people who screw me over. My strongest quality is my stubbornness, not willing to give up.

Who’s your favorite President?

KRIS: Ronald Reagan

Mark: Ronald Reagan

John: Ronald Reagan

Pet peeve?

KRIS: Inconsiderate people.

John: Dealing with stupid people.

In closing, Mark had these final words of advice, “Keep honor, integrity and courage, the foundation of your life. Always stay low and keep moving.”