Patriot Point recently hosted Ryan, Mary and their daughter Isabelle for a weekend.

Ryan has 18 years of service in the U.S. Army. Most of that time, he has been on active duty and he has been in the West Virginia National Guard since 2014. He served multiple overseas tours and participated in combat operations supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Ryan was severely injured in a parachuting accident two years ago and assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Belvoir for medical rehab at Walter Reed and Fort Belvoir hospitals. Earlier this month, he was approved for medical retirement, but elected to instead defer the retirement for two years and returned to duty in the National Guard.

“My wife, Mary, and I have each stayed at Patriot Point in the past for different events, but this is the first time we were able to bring our daughter, Isabelle,” Ryan said. “During this visit we enjoyed several exciting activities such as fishing, crabbing and sporting clays.  We also had a great time playing in the sand on the beach and chasing small fish around in the shallow water.

“The housing accommodations were perfect for our family and we took advantage of the big kitchen, board games and terrific (Under Armour Freedom Fitness Center).  We definitely look forward to the next time we visit Patriot Point again.”