Eric grew up in Sparks, Nevada.  He started working at 14.  During high school he worked at a plumbing & heating supply company, mostly on the shipping and receiving dock where he was allowed to drive a forklift.  After high school Eric enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was trained as an avionics technician.  He was stationed at March Air Force Base near Riverside, California, where he worked on bombers and aerial refueling aircraft. In that role he traveled to many places around the world in support of operational missions.