11th Regimental
Chief Warrant Officer

CW5 Jack C. Van Zanten was born in Sharon, PA and graduated from Mooseheart High School, Mooseheart, IL. He entered on Active Duty in October 1971. He completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and advanced individual training (AIT) at Fort Gordon, GA. He was awarded the MOS of 31J20, teletype repairman. His first permanent duty assignment was with the 509th Radio Research Field Station in the Republic of Viet Nam. His next assignment was with the Army Security Agency (ASA) Materiel Support Command (MSC) at Vint Hill Farms Station, Warrenton, VA, where he served on the world-wide installation team. He was discharged from the Army in January, 1975 at the rank of Specialist 5. CW5 Van Zanten was in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) from 1975 until 1978, when he joined the Army Reserve Troop Program Unit (TPU). While in the Army Reserve he cross-trained into food service and progressed to the rank of Sergeant First Class (SFC).

CW5 Van Zanten was accepted into the warrant officer program in 1987 and completed the Warrant Officer Entry Course (WOEC) at Fort Sill, OK in February 1988. He then went onto Fort Gregg-Adams, VA for the Warrant Officer Technical Certification Course (WOTTC) where he graduated as the Distinguished Honor Graduate in his Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), 922A Food Service Technician. His first assignment as a warrant officer was with the 303d Ordnance Group, Springfield, IL. In August 1989 CW5 Van Zanten entered the Active Guard Reserve (AGR) program and was assigned as a Trainer Advisor Counselor (TAC) officer at the Reserve Component Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS) at Fort McCoy, WI. In 1991 his next assignment took him to the 95th Division (Training) in Oklahoma City, OK, where he served as the division food advisor. In 1996 he was selected to return to active duty with the Regular Army. This took him to Fort Bragg, NC where he served with the 507th Corps Support Group, 2nd Materiel Management Command, and Headquarters, 1st Corps Support Command (COSCOM). In 2000 he was assigned as the food advisor for the 1st Armored Division in Germany.

In May of 2003 he deployed with the Division to Baghdad International Airport in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). His next assignment took him back to Fort Bragg with the XVIII Airborne Corps Distribution Center (CDC). This assignment took him back to Iraq until April 2005 when he returned to Fort Bragg and was reassigned as the Forces Command Food Advisor at Fort McPherson, GA. CW5 Van Zanten's most recent assignment was, 2007 - 2010 as The Army Food Advisor at Fort Gregg-Adams, VA.

CW5 Van Zanten has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Fayetteville State University as well as a Master of Arts in Human Resource Development from Webster University. He is a member of the Order of Saint Martin.