U.S. Army Veteran from Cheney deployed to Afghanistan twice

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — He was deployed to Afghanistan twice. Once as a machine gunner who tip-toed through minefields every single day and again as an Apache helicopter mechanic. His priorities began to change when he and his wife started their family.

Zach Shryock is part of a deep military legacy. One of his grandfathers fought for the U.S. Army in World War II. His other grandfather was also in the Army during the Korean War.

His father and an uncle were in the U.S. Navy. His other uncle was in the Army. All three saw action in Vietnam.

Shryock says the military is just in his blood.

“I was 21. I was going to school for music at the time (at Hutchinson Community College). Realized I didn’t want to teach music. Didn’t really know what I wanted to do after that, and then, like I said, that blood. I kind of always felt like I was gonna be in the service anyway,” explained Shryock.

So, the 2007 Cheney High School grad joined the Army in 2010. He was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for infantry training and jump school. The entire time, he knew he would end up in the dry deserts and forbidding mountains of Afghanistan.

“Oh, 100%. That’s why I signed up. Sort of. In the back of your head, you know that they don’t get to come home unless someone replaces ’em,” said Shryock. “You got to go. There was a war going on, you see.”

“Then I went to Fort Lewis. Second Infantry Division. Second Infantry ID, Washington State. Got put in 1-17. Started off in Charlie Company. I was one of their very first replacements after they came home from one of the roughest deployments that we’ve had since Vietnam. My one company lost 24 guys, and I was like the first guy to go fill in that replacement slot when they came home from Afghanistan,” continued Shryock. “And that was a difficult situation. They didn’t really understand it at first. It made a lot more sense afterwards. They didn’t want to see anybody else get hurt, I think before it was when they saw me, young and green. And they saw me as a potential casualty. I think they stood their distance from me for a little bit. They warmed up, I guess, but it took about a month, two months.”

Shryock trained for 1.5 years at Fort Lewis before his first deployment to Afghanistan.

For the first 3.5 months in Spin Boldack, his company ran traffic control points, intercepted terrorists, and conducted raids to capture valued assets. He says those were scary times because of the constant bombings and the bombs and IEDs that couldn’t be seen under the desert sand.

“There’s a good chance you might get blown up out there. Just because that’s what I mean, it’s a war,” said Shryock.

Eventually, his company moved to a small, U.S. strongpoint. It was basically a small fort built by the troops that was fortified with 5-foot by 5-foot bags filled with dirt called a Hesko Barrier. The heavily fortified battle position housed sleeping tents, showers, stored weapons and fuel, was surrounded by attack bunkers, and anchored in the center by a raid camera.

The company’s task was to cut off a supply road being built by the Taliban, cut their own road towards a new U.S. strongpoint, and, most importantly, protect the raid camera.

“We took quite a bit of contact out there. That was a very interesting place to be. Three or four times a day, they (Taliban) would wake up and pray, and they’d come at you. And then they would eat, pray, and they’d come at you again. And they’d eat again and pray some more and come at ya. And sometimes they’d come at ya at night,” said Shryock.

He basically lived in a minefield. Ground sweepers would use metal detectors to clear a 3 to 3.5-foot path in the sand and mark it with rocks dropped on both sides. The key to staying alive was staying within those rocks.

The company also conducted BIPs. If they found an explosive device, they would cover it with a C-4 explosive and “Blow In Place.”

“We were disciplined, and we had each other’s backs. I tell you that. We made it. On the first one (deployment), I’m not sure how. I could tell you luck. I think it’s just luck and discipline,” said Shryock.

During one stretch in the desert, Shryock didn’t shower for 32 days. One day, he met a clean, smiling Apache helicopter pilot and asked him, “How can I be you?” The pilot suggested Shryock would be a good fit as an Apache mechanic. So, in September 2013, Shryock reclassified to become an Apache helicopter mechanic.

The Apache is the most advanced, multi-role combat helicopter in the U.S. Army.

After he completed training in Virginia, Shryock and his new wife, Brittany, relocated to Korea for two years.

Then, in 2016…

“They sent me back to Afghanistan. And I was over there for about seven months that time,” said Shryock.

About that time, the couple learned Brittany was pregnant. She returned home to Georgia, and Shryock was determined to make it back to the States to be with her for the birth of their first child. So, every single day, he e-mailed his First Sergeant and Sergeant Major, expressing his deep desire to be with his wife for the birth.

The strategy worked. Shryock was allowed to return to Georgia to be with Brittany when she delivered.

But the baby was coming earlier than expected, and Shryock had to hustle halfway around the world.

He flew 7,500 miles, changed planes six times, and arrived at the hospital just in time. 45 minutes after he got there, Myra Grace was born.

“That’s when I decided I was done. When my daughter was born. I really wanted to be around my kids,” said Shryock.

After seven years of service with the U.S. Army, Shryock was honorably discharged.

In the following years, he spent the Covid years hauling a camper and crisscrossing the country with his growing family, spending precious time at beaches and venturing into National Parks.

Until the Shryock’s settled here in Riverside. His children are now ages 7 and 4. Zach still has a love for playing music. He’s a talented acoustic guitar player, but he says his favorite instrument is the bones.

He places the four wooden “bones” two in each hand and begins playing them almost as if he’s playing a snare drum.

“You hold them between your fingers like this, and then you wave goodbye!” Shryock said.

Shryock says the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield is his favorite place in the whole world. He has volunteered there in the past, but he’d like to convince the festival organizers to put him on the payroll. He also drives for Uber.

He says the greatest feeling in the entire world was serving his country and the friendships and the lifelong memories he made.

If you want to nominate a veteran for our Veteran Salute, email KSN reporter Jason Lamb at jason.lamb@ksn.com .

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