Clint Van Winkle served for eight years in the United States Marine Corps, earning the rank of sergeant. While in Iraq he served as an Amphibious Assault Vehicle section leader, attached to Lima Company 3rd BN 1st Marines, and commanded eighteen other Marines. After two tours of duty, he returned to earn a BA in English from Arizona State University, then a MA in Creative Writing and Media from the University of Wales-Swansea. He is the author of Soft Spots: A Marine's Memoir of Combat and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He lives with his wife in Chesapeake, Virginia.