Photo By Airman 1st Class Megan Delaine | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ryan Kindler, front left, 92nd Security Forces Squadron...... read more read more
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FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- From fighting wildfires to calling in airstrikes—that was the future Ryan Kindler, a fourth-generation military man, envisioned for himself. When he was selected for the grueling training of the Air Force's Tactical Air Control Party (TACP), he was ready to trade one intense career for another and prove he had what it took.
Enduring the extensive labor of the selection prep course, Kindler held his head high as he started his last ruck march for the course. Running alongside his friends for an unknown amount of distance with 80 pounds of equipment on their backs at first seemed like light work.
Suddenly, in the middle of the March, he felt his left leg start to shut down. Kindler began to hobble along, dragging his leg, but he carried on, determined to finish the ruck and become a TACP specialist. As the medical truck caught up to him, he slowly accepted defeat. He told the medical team he felt back pain and numbness in his left leg, which forced him to drop out of TACP selection.
After taking some time to heal, he was reclassed as a security forces specialist and was sent to technical training in May 2020. Shortly after graduating and moving to his first base, he received the notification that he would be deploying to Africa.
“When they told me I was deploying to Africa I was confused, I didn’t know we had many bases there,” said Staff Sgt. Ryan Kindler, 92nd Security Forces Squadron combat arms instructor trainer. “I went to Airbase 201 in Niger, Africa, and it was a really awesome experience for me as an Airman.”
During the deployment, Kindler performed as a machine gunner for his team, putting his body through more stress, which ultimately led to him getting reinjured.
Getting back from the deployment, Kindler underwent spinal surgery, where several severed discs were removed and multiple parts of his back were fused to two metal rods and donor bone. Kindler’s yearlong recovery process involved slowly recovering feeling in most of his leg and working up to being able to run with only minor difficulties. He showed his perseverance by continuing to get back up and fight through all the difficulties thrown his way.
In 2023, Kindler decided it was time for a change and prioritized his health and recovery, retraining to become a combat arms instructor. CATM instructors are responsible for the training and certification of Airmen on weapons such as the M16 rifle, M9 pistol and more.
After graduating the specialized training, Kindler moved to Fairchild Air Force Base to start work as a combat arms instructor. During his move, the Fairchild CATM shop was preparing for a move of their own by relocating down the road and establishing the Spokane County Sheriff Regional Training Center, a first-of-its-kind facility designed with the intention to be shared by Fairchild AFB and local law enforcement agencies.
“Shortly after I got here, we moved into this facility and it has been a godsend,” said Kindler.
The move allowed the SFS team to revamp the course and their procedures, ensuring every detail aligned with Air Force Security Forces Center standards.
“It was a big learning curve and challenge coming into it, knowing the standard from my last shop and coming to this shop,” Kindler said. “So, the only way to really overcome the challenges of combat arms is to buckle down and do it.”
Building on his past experiences, Kindler said he was able to grow from rapid changes by learning quickly and making decisions on his feet.
“There’s seemingly a challenge at every corner, you just have to solve each problem as you get to them,” Kindler said. “[Security forces] is a career field of problem solvers.”
In his role as an instructor trainer, Kindler develops other CATM instructors into confident problem-solvers, teaching them to train Airmen effectively and preparing them to handle stressful scenarios, including how to safely respond to a pointed weapon.
“My favorite part of the job is being out on the line, coaching the shooters and getting someone who would qualify to not only qualify but almost shooting or actually shooting expert, and that is the most rewarding part of the job,” Kindler said. “Security Forces has a saying, if nothing happens … thank a defender.”
He may not be on the front lines calling in airstrikes, but every time an Airman under his instruction qualifies, hitting their target with precision, it's a different kind of strike, one he called in through hours of training and mentorship. The battlefield has changed for Kindler, but the mission, in its purest form, remains the same.
| Date Taken: | 12.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.05.2026 16:19 |
| Story ID: | 555736 |
| Location: | SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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