Local man helping to transform Guam's strategic position
By DONNA FAIR
Article published on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007  |
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| Photo by CECILIO RICARDO |
| Airmen from the Second Maintenance Squadron, Barksdale, La., do a phase inspection on a B-52 Stratofortress aircraft. |
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PINELLAS PARK – Most people are drawn to Guam for the warm weather, pristine coral reefs and lush tropical flora.
Japanese honeymooners flock there and the U.S. territory is closer to Japan, the Philippines and Australia than to its closest American neighbor, Hawaii.
Because of its location in the western Pacific and west of the international dateline, it’s the first place on American soil to see the sun rise each morning.
But for the son of a Pinellas Park man, the tropical paradise is the backdrop to what is shaping up to be one of the most strategic and important staging areas for the U.S. Air Force in the Pacific region. Airman 1st Class Kyle T. Ryan, son of Kevin Ryan of Pinellas Park, is helping transform the sleepy outpost into one of national importance for U.S. military strategy in the 21st century.
Ryan is an intelligence analyst with the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron.
“My job entails providing accurate and timely intelligence analysis products on current enemy political and military situations of interest to directly support my squadron and the leadership of Andersen (Air Force Base),” said Ryan, who graduated in 2002 from Mountain Ridge High School, Glendale, Ariz.
Andersen is no stranger to strategic importance, though. The base was created as a staging area and airstrip in 1944 to allow B-29 bombers to attack mainland Japan during the latter part of World War II.
The base has grown tremendously in importance since then, mushrooming to more than 15,000 airmen with constant B-52 missions over North Vietnam during the early ’70s. Since Desert Shield/Desert Storm in the early ’90s, Andersen has become a deployment mecca for B-52, B-1 and B-2 bomber units focusing on a new mission – the global war on terror.
Off duty, Ryan and fellow airmen are privy to a literal paradise. On a tropical island 30 miles long and 9 miles wide, airmen can find white sandy beaches ringed by pristine coral reefs, crystal-clear water teeming with exotic marine life, a balmy tropical climate and gentle trade winds. Add a slew of restaurants, resorts and shopping areas and it’s easy to see why Guam has become the Air Force’s best kept secret.
“Guam is a beautiful and lush tropical island. The local Chamorro people are not only nice, but very supportive of the people who are here serving our country,” said Ryan. “Though work keeps me very busy, I try and take advantage of every opportunity I get, to get out and see the island. I enjoy spending time at the beach snorkeling to take advantage of some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world, going for a hike or just hitting the gym.”
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Article published on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007
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