Every sailor’s story of naval service is unique.

For Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan McNally, this story began in New Tripoli, where skills and values learned there would be foundational to success in the Navy.

“I was raised in a simple but busy household,” McNally said. “I was always out playing soccer or hockey. A quote that one of my coaches shared with me that has stuck with me to this day is, ‘Success is to be measured not by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.’ - Booker T. Washington. This quote has taught me that the more successful people in the world have had to overcome bigger and harder challenges than the rest, which I believe I have had to do through my military career.”

McNally graduated from Northwestern Lehigh High School in 2012.

McNally joined the Navy eight years ago.

“Originally, I joined the Army and got out after four years of service,” McNally said. “After a few years, I met my now wife and we decided together that I should rejoin the military. My thought was that since I already served in the Army, following my grandfather’s footsteps, I should give the Navy a go, which would follow in my uncle’s footsteps.”

Today, McNally serves as an aviation maintenance administrationman assigned to Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Three (VQ-3) in Oklahoma City. McNally supports the nation’s nuclear deterrence mission at Strategic Communications Wing One (STRATCOMMWING ONE).

Its “Take Charge and Move Out” (TACAMO) mission provides airborne communication links to nuclear missile units of U.S. Strategic Command.

The TACAMO mission originated in 1961 when a Marine Corps aircraft was used to test the feasibility of an airborne Very Low Frequency communications system.

Once the test was successful, funding for the program was granted, and it has continued to grow ever since.

The U.S. Navy’s presence on an Air Force base in a landlocked state may seem strange, but the position is strategic, allowing squadrons to quickly deploy around the world in support of the TACAMO mission.

The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.

According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”

With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the Internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables,

Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.

McNally has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

“To me, accomplishments are not always the things that people can see but more the things you do when no one is watching,” McNally said. “I have been able to help fellow sailors through some really tough times and situations. So, to me, being someone that other sailors can trust and come to in a time of need is what I’m most proud of.”

McNally serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.

“Serving the Navy, serving this country is the greatest thing you could be doing,” McNally said. “Yeah, there are days where the work is great and a lot of fun but then there are those days where work sucks and you want nothing to do with it but the whole purpose of serving is to defend the country you call home regardless if it’s boots on the ground, sailing around the world, or flying thousands of miles.”

McNally is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

“The first person I would like to thank is my grandfather,” McNally said. “He is watching from above, and he was the one person I always looked up to growing up as a kid. Second, from back in my hometown, I would like to send a thank you to a great mentor and soccer coach, Doug Collins. He not only trained me endlessly in a sport that I love but also taught me a lot of great life lessons that I still utilize today. Next, my mom and pop for literally always answering the phone when I needed help, to chat or to teach me things. They both kept it honest and blunt with me, and that has gotten me to where I am today. Lastly, my beautiful wife, Nicole, and our little one, Adaline. Without them, I would go home to an empty house and probably never escape thinking about work. They are the reason why I push through every day because I know at some point I get to go home, forget about work and have an amazing time with family.”

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