There comes a time in every Soldier’s military career when a decision has to be made: stay or leave. For U.S. Army Spc. Jordan Ryan, a combat engineer with the 151st Combat Engineering Company Armored, North Carolina National Guard (NCNG), the decision was clear.
“I knew I wanted to reenlist,” Ryan said. “It was just a matter of where.”
A native of North Carolina, Ryan enlisted in the National Guard shortly after graduating high school. Military service runs in her family; serving is natural. Outside of her guard duties, Ryan works full-time as a police officer in Brevard, North Carolina.
Her commitment to both service and her community was demonstrated during Hurricane Helene, when Ryan was among the first groups to arrive in the Asheville area to assist residents affected by the storm.
“Ryan is one of the hardest-working engineers on the team,” said U.S Army 1st Sgt. David Yensan. "We are happy that she decided to re-enlist.”
After years with her engineering unit, Ryan said she had developed strong bonds with the Soldiers around her. While she knew there were numerous opportunities within the National Guard, she ultimately decided she wasn’t ready to leave the unit she had come to call home.
“I knew I wanted to reenlist. It was just a matter of where,” she said. “There are so many options in the National Guard.”
For Ryan, the answer was to stay with her engineering unit.
Her reenlistment ceremony took place during an engineer training exercise, but it was anything but ordinary. Ryan’s company commander already knew she planned to reenlist. During the training exercise, he approached her on the range and asked, “Are you still going to re-up?” Ryan said yes.
“Then you’re going to do it today,” said U.S Army Capt. Garrett Wood, 151 CAC-A commander. Ryan had no idea what he had planned.
She was asked to select two of her fellow Soldiers to hold the American flag and choose who would administer the reenlistment oath.
As Ryan recited the final lines of her oath, her fellow engineers continued training around her. Explosions detonated in the background as part of the exercise, providing an unforgettable soundtrack to a significant moment in her military career.
For Ryan, the ceremony represented more than signing another contract. It marked her decision to continue serving alongside the Soldiers who had become family.
With her oath complete and explosions echoing across the training range, Specialist Jordan Ryan officially began the next chapter of her service with the North Carolina National Guard.