About this item
A gripping and intimate on-the-ground memoir from a Navy SEAL who was part of SEAL Team THREE with American Sniper Chris Kyle. Experience his deployment, from his first mission to his first kill to his eventual successful return to the United States to play himself in the Oscar-nominated film directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper.The Last Punisher is a bold, no-holds-barred first-person account of the Iraq War. With wry humor and moving testimony, Kevin Lacz tells the story of his tour in Iraq with SEAL Team THREE, the warrior elite of the Navy. This legendary unit, known as "The Punishers," included Chris Kyle (American Sniper) , Mike Monsoor, Ryan Job, and Marc Lee. These brave men were instrumental in securing the key locations in the pivotal 2006 Battle of Ramadi, told with stunning detail in these pages.
About the Author
Kevin was born and raised in central Connecticut before enrolling in James Madison University in 2000. When the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 claimed the life of a good friend's father, he decided to leave school in favor of military service. While visiting a Navy recruiter's office, a SEALs poster caught Kevin's eye and he decided to enlist in the Navy with the intention of going to BUD/S and becoming a SEAL. He started BUD/S in early 2003 with Class 245. A back injury meant he would graduate with Class 246 at the end of the year. Because he was a Hospital Corpsman, Kevin also attended 18D Special Operations Combat Medic School at Fort Bragg before checking into SEAL Team THREE in Coronado, California.
Kevin did two platoons at SEAL Team THREE (Charlie and Delta) as a platoon sniper, breacher, and combat medic, each with a deployment to Iraq (2006 and 2008) . He was fortunate enough to work alongside many of the toughest frogmen to ever wear the trident, such as Marc Lee, Ryan Job, Mikey Monsoor, and Chris Kyle. His platoon's 2006 deployment to Ramadi, then the most dangerous city in Iraq, has been discussed in several books, including Chris Kyle's American Sniper. Kevin's presence in Sniper led to his involvement in the production of and eventual casting in the Clint Eastwood directed Chris Kyle biopic by the same name (starring Bradley Cooper) .
Upon completing his enlistment, Kevin was honorably discharged from the Navy. He was awarded a number of commendations for his service, including a Bronze Star with a combat 'V'. He returned to Connecticut and enrolled at UConn with the intention of continuing his career in medicine. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Political Science in 2011 and began the application process for Physician Assistant School. While earning his undergraduate degree, he also got married and started a family.
In 2012 Kevin moved his family to Winston-Salem, North Carolina in order to pursue his Masters of Health Sciences at Wake Forest University. He graduated in August 2014.
Currently, Kevin works as a Physician Assistant with Regenesis, LLC in Pensacola. He enjoys using his past experiences to facilitate his work in medicine and charity. His past military service influences him greatly as he seeks to actively support service members and veterans in his community.
Kevin lives in Florida with his wife, Lindsey, and two children.
