cassie marie's blog

Danger just part of the job

Ever wondered what it’s like to have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world?

Tracy native Ryan Myers, 28, doesn’t have to wonder. He’s working in the safety department on the flight deck of the USS Ronald Reagan in the Gulf of Oman, off the coast of Pakistan, which isn’t exactly a cakewalk, according to Lt. Cmdr. Ron Flanders. Myers was hand-chosen for the position.

His job is to make sure that the crew is doing everything safely, because if anything is wrong, the consequences can be deadly. He also ensures the flight crew’s efficiency. Working on the most combat-efficient carrier fleet in the world, Myers lives up to a high standard.

“It’s life-changing,” Myers said. “I can honestly say that since I have joined the Navy, I have grown exponentially. I feel like I have grown professionally, with new skills and trades, and looking out for everyone’s safety and making sure they get home.

“I’ve grown personally, with meeting a wide array of personnel not just across the country, but the world as well.”

Myers has been in the U.S. Navy since he turned 18. A week from today, he will celebrate 10 years of service.

This is his second tour on the USS Ronald Reagan. The 60-aircraft ship itself is a floating American city, with 4,500 people who live and work above and below deck, six restaurants, a barbershop, a TV station, a newspaper, a post office, police and fire stations, a Starbucks and its very own ZIP code.

The mission of the USS Ronald Reagan is to provide air support for the men and women fighting on the ground and in the sea for the United States. Each day some of the ship’s aircrafts go to Afghanistan to patrol certain areas. And if the troops need help, they dial a 9-1-1 type code, and the planes respond.

Myers’ stays in the Gulf of Oman vary. He said it all depends on when the service needs them. It could be a couple of weeks, or a couple of months.

His father, Edmund McKinley Myers Jr. was also in the Navy. He was recently buried at sea from aboard the USS Ronald Regan, and Myers was presented the flag by the ship’s commanding officer.

“It was really professional,” Myers said. “There was a 21-gun salute, and the commanding officer presented the flag. And without realizing it, I followed in his steps.”

In addition to his father, the family of the 1999 Tracy High graduate has a history of military service — Myers’ brother is in the U.S. Army.

“He comes from a very patriotic family that has served his country honorably,” Flanders said.

So when you’re wondering what it’s like to have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, just ask Ryan Myers.

Commuters-Warriors of the Business World

You can tell a lot about a person by the way they commute.

Sitting on bart just watching people enter and exit the train can be really entertaining and oddly enough, slightly educational. Like, what happens when an elderly person steps on to the train?

Which people offer their seat to that person, and more interesting is those who don’t. They are the ones that sink a little deeper into their chair, pull their newspaper up higher, or they just hide behind a large pair of sunglasses that they think are shielding the fact they are staring. They would rather have two more stops of comfort, then let someone who is physically worn down have their seat. It amazes me, really.

Then when you step of the train, flocks of people are literally running up the escalator and out on to the city streets. Their day is full of fast pace, running around.

Oh, by the way you can tell who the seasoned business women are–they are the ones dressed in elegant, pressed business suits that beg you to take them seriously, but then you look down. There is the symbol of a seasoned vet, a pair of worn in Nikes with the pink slash on the side.  They are the real warriors. They hasten down the streets, three bags slung full of papers and binders over their shoulders, a venti skim latte in their hands, all while still looking a little graceful. 

It makes you wonder how they are in the personal lives. If they are constantly on the go, or if they have active social lives.

Then there are the men, dressed in pinstripe, non-creased suits, with their paisley ties flapping in the wind as they have their BlackBerry permantly glued to their ear. They are interesting to, in the fact that they are completely oblivious to the world around them. They walk on the streets like they own them and its almost like the pigeon effect, they clear the sidewalks.

*a little rambling, after two days of living the commuting lifestyle. haha. thanks for reading.