Ryan McGovern (Vietnam)

Ryan McGovern (Association for the Empowerment of People with Disabilities - AEPD): Ryan enlisted in the US Army immediately after High School. He was stationed at Fort Bragg North Carolina, and attained the rank of Sergeant. During his four years of service, Ryan completed US Army Ranger School, the Military Free Fall Parachutist course (HALO) and was deployed to Iraq in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Following his military service, Ryan earned a BS in International Economics at Suffolk University in Boston Massachusetts. Prior to his fellowship, Ryan was pursuing a Master of Arts degree at The American University in Cairo. His interest in remnants of war was sparked by his experience in Northern Iraq, a region devastated by landmines and UXO from years of armed conflict. After his fellowship Ryan wrote: “[This experience] reminded me that all cultures are different… Certainly I gained a new perspective in a region I was very unfamiliar with.”