Will Irwin retired from the United States Army in January 2000 after a career of more than twenty-eight years, half of that in Special Forces. He received a B.A. in history from Methodist College and a master of military arts and sciences degree from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He has done graduate work in modern European history at the University of Kansas and has served as a research fellow at the RAND Corporation. He now works as a defense contractor. Born in Iowa, Irwin lives in Valrico, Florida.