Norwich, Conn., native accepts new challenge with Female Engagement Team

FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, HELMAND PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

12.28.2011

Story by Cpl. Meredith Brown 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, Afghanistan - When Kimberly Ryan stepped into the Navy recruiter’s office at age 18, she had no idea what she wanted to do. All she knew was she wanted to get out of Connecticut and broaden her horizon.

“The recruiter said, ‘Do you want to be a corpsman like me?’ and I said, ‘Sure!’ recalled Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan. “I ended up loving it, and so that’s my story.”

Seven years later, after serving overseas in Sasebo, Japan, Ryan now finds herself in Sangin district, Helmand province, serving as the team leader for Female Engagement Team 8.

When she stepped up and accepted the challenge of FET, Ryan thought she was going to be the equivalent of a female infantryman for her first deployment, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“(FET) is actually completely different,” said Ryan, who is 25 years old. “The female engagement team is all about counterinsurgency, and I actually like what it ended up not being.”

Ryan’s day-to-day activities vary depending on the mission and the support 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, needs from the team. Each week, Ryan and her fellow team member, Cpl. Brandy Bates, work together with Afghan National Security Forces to plan and host a children’s meeting for local children in the Sangin district in southwestern Afghanistan.

Ryan said the last three months while deployed with the FET has given her experience and confidence for interacting with ANSF and local residents.

Ryan, who explained she was naturally shy and naïve before her time in the Navy, has started opening up and seeing things differently because of her experiences. Her determined, can-do attitude helps her with her everyday affairs and contributes directly to her successes with FET and as a team leader.

“She definitely keeps me informed on everything that is going on,” said Bates, a native of Ann Arbor, Mich. “She definitely takes charge of everything that needs to be taken care of.”

With just a few months left in her deployment, Ryan is continuing her work to make progress with the women in Sangin and to impact as many lives as possible.

Editor’s note: Female Engagement Team 8 is working in direct support of 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, which is currently assigned to Regimental Combat Team 8 in 2nd Marine Division (Forward). The division heads Task Force Leatherneck, serving as the ground combat element of Regional Command (Southwest) and working in partnership with the Afghan National Security Force and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency operations. The unit is dedicated to securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces, and enabling ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its area of operations in order to support the expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.

• Date Taken: 12.28.2011
• Date Posted: 12.28.2011 07:45
• Story ID: 81806
• Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, HELMAND PROVINCE, AF