Born and raised in New York City, Yonel recently retired from the military where he served as an Air Force helicopter pilot. Prior to his Air Force service, he served as a United States Marine, a Naval Aviator, and Army National Guard Aviator. Yonel served several tours in Afghanistan and Iraq where he flew combat search and rescue missions. After a successful military career, Yonel decided pursue his lifelong dream of becoming an actor. He has been married to his wife Karen since 1988, they have two children and two grandchildren.