By Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach
SAN DIEGO – Petty Officer 3rd Class Kolby Ryan, a native of Knoxville, Illinois, serves aboard USS Oakland, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of San Diego, California.
Ryan graduated from Knoxville High School in 2021.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Knoxville.
“Growing up in a small town, I learned how important it is to make strong friendships in your life,” Ryan said.
Ryan joined the Navy four years ago. Today, Ryan serves as a mineman.
“I joined for the opportunities and benefits that it can provide, and I wanted to travel and see the world,” Ryan said. “I also joined because of my brother, Tanner. He joined the Marine Corps, and it inspired me to serve my country as well.”
A Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), USS Oakland is a fast and agile warship designed to operate in near-shore environments to counter 21st-century threats. Crews aboard the ship can operate unmanned aerial systems and unmanned underwater vehicles. These ships can operate independently or in high-threat scenarios as part of a networked battle force that includes larger, multi-mission surface combatants such as cruisers and destroyers.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber-optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
Ryan has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My proudest accomplishment is going overseas to Bahrain and learning new cultures,” Ryan said. “While in Bahrain, I was able to excel and take on leadership roles on board my ship. Also, early in my career as a seaman, I was awarded two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals. That has given me the ability to earn qualifications of a higher rank.”
Ryan serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“It has not always been good, but it has taught me how to work through hard times and better myself as a person,” Ryan said.
Ryan is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“First, my family has always been a big support system for me,” Ryan added. “Secondly, I still have some great friends back home that I have known all my life. I still talk to them all the time, and their friendship has been a great gift.”
