Capt. Ryan S. Phaneuf (’12) of Hudson, New Hampshire, died serving his country. Assigned to the 37th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, Phaneuf was copiloting a Bombardier E-11A communications aircraft when it crashed in Afghanistan. A graduate of Embry-Riddle’s applied meteorology program and Air Force ROTC Det. 157, Phaneuf, 30, joined the Air Force in 2012.
Meteorology Professor Tom Guinn remembers him well. “What I always admired most about Ryan was that he never backed down from life challenges,” Guinn says.
In honor of his sacrifice, Embry-Riddle’s Air Force ROTC Det. 157 assembled for a moment of silence, remembrance and prayer at the detachment’s opening formation Feb. 7, and dedicated its morning physical training and campus run to Phaneuf. He is survived by his wife, Megan.