Born to Serve: Twin brothers reflect on childhood in Montana and Air Force careers

  • Published
  • By Brian Brackens
  • Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Growing up in the wide-open spaces of Montana, twins Zach and Bridger Lord were raised to work hard, dream big, and to serve others.

Their childhood consisted in large part of sports, hunting, hiking, camping, boating, and exploring nearby Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.

“Montana is a special place,” said Zach, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, and a Materiel Leader within the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s (AFLCMC) Training Directorate. “Obviously we’re biased, but of all the places in the United States, Montana not only has amazing people, but the best access to outdoor recreation and wilderness. There's a crazy combination of rivers, lakes, mountains and recreational activities that you can do in Montana and the ability for an average person to access all of it is amazing.”

“I would just add that besides the outdoor access, which I think is amazing, I’ve got a lot of love for the people, the culture, and the mentality there [in Montana],” added Bridger, who also serves as a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force and is a Materiel Leader within the AFLCMC Presidential and Executive Airpower Directorate. “In general, the Montanan mentality is one of hard work and grit, and growing up within that mentality helped set a baseline for us.”

Both brothers credit their parents for being major influences and for helping mold them into the men and leaders they are today.

“Our parents were pretty young when they had the ‘twins,’ and later our two younger brothers,” said Zach. “Around that time, my dad started a business – a quick lube store – so he worked a lot of hours. However, despite being a small business owner he and our mom were always there, and always supportive of us. From them we learned not only about hard work, but about being responsible, taking ownership of what you’re doing, and that ultimately the ‘buck stops with you.’"

Growing up, the brothers had an interest in the military, and their shared childhood room was filled with multiple models of planes, and helicopters.

However, the pivotal moment that set them on their path to Air Force careers was in high school, when Bridger broke his leg playing football. Originally, both were scheduled to attend a wrestling camp in Idaho, however because of the broken leg, Bridger ended up visiting an uncle in Colorado Springs, Colorado, while Zach attended the camp alone.   

During that visit to Colorado Springs, Bridger had an opportunity to tour the U.S. Air Force Academy.

“My jaw dropped when I saw the Academy for the first time,” said Bridger. “Being from Montana, I thought I didn’t have any interest in city life. But seeing the location of the Academy in the foothills of the Rampart Range of the Rocky Mountains, and within 18,000 acres, I just immediately fell in love.”

Going back home to Montana, Bridger told Zach about the opportunities at the Academy, including the academics, leadership training and the wrestling program, which as competitive wrestlers was a big draw for the brothers.

Deciding to seriously consider military careers, the brothers started researching military service academies, as well as various ROTC detachments around the country. However, they had their hearts set on attending the Air Force Academy.

During the long process of getting congressional recommendations, applying and receiving medical clearance to attend the Academy, Zach and Bridger weren’t confident that things would work out. But shortly before they were scheduled to start classes at a small college in Montana, they received notification that they had been accepted into the Air Force Academy and needed to report to campus within three weeks.

While at the Academy, Zach and Bridger competed on the wrestling team, a Division I program, where they wrestled at weight classes 157 lbs. and 149 lbs. respectively. 

According to the brothers, in the beginning, wrestling on the team wasn’t easy, and there were times they thought about quitting, but were motivated by their sense of commitment and competitiveness with one another to stay. 

Everyday we were getting whooped [wrestling] in practice by upperclassmen and our teammates,” said Bridger, “I remember several occasions walking back to our dorm together after practice, and it’s cold, it’s snowy, we’re beat up, we’re cut, and our bodies are just sore. The easy way out would’ve been to quit, but when either of us would hint at that, the other was right there to push it out of our minds. The fact that we were on this journey together, continually challenging each other, helped get us through and keep our commitments to our teammates and coaches.”

“I told myself that if Bridger is not going to quit, I’m not going to quit, and if he can do it, I can do it,” added Zach. “I also felt that I owed it to him not to give up.”

Eventually their persistence and hard work paid off, and by their junior year they were wrestling on the varsity squad. During their senior year they were selected as team captains. In addition, Zach received the Wayne Baughman A-10 Warthog Award, which is given to wrestlers at the Academy who stand out for their extraordinary toughness, grit, and work ethic.

After graduating from the Academy with degrees in Systems Engineering Management, then operational experience tours in Intelligence and Maintenance, Zach and Bridger were assigned to work in the Air Force acquisition career field, as program managers in the Operational Command and Control Division at Hanscom Air Force Base, and the Simulators Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, respectively. Over the last 18 years, they have held various Air Force acquisition jobs, culminating in their current roles as Materiel Leaders supporting two of the Air Force’s most important programs.

“What we [acquisition professionals] do is very important,” said Zach. “When you think about American adversaries, the fight doesn’t start on a battlefield, it starts with the capabilities we develop and prioritize, and how well we bring those capabilities to the field. That is what we do in acquisition.”

The values the brothers internalized from their childhood in Montana, including grit, hard work and perseverance despite the odds, continues to guide them as they work to ensure the Air Force has the weapon systems it needs to fight and win.

“Acquisitions is the ultimate team sport, but our ‘game’ can take years… a career even,” said Bridger. “Success depends on teammates holding each other accountable and showing up every day ready to grind through challenges together. Despite us being on separate programs, Zach has always been on my team, pushing me to be better through this Air Force journey.”