TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- As a young boy he heard the thunderous roar of an A-10 Thunderbolt II and just as it zoomed overhead he looked toward the sky and could not help but to point and declare, “That’s my dad!”
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Ryan Serrill, the new commander of the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron, grew up in Europe, as a military child, with the dream of becoming a fighter pilot just like his father.
Serrill spent half his childhood in Europe and the latter half in his hometown of Seattle, Washington. He is a product of King County schools and is a graduate of the University of Washington.
Fast forward to present day, Serrill now has two children of his own, a son, 9, and daughter, 7. He is also the fighter pilot he dreamed of being as a young boy.
His children were born while he was an F-16 instructor pilot stationed in Arizona and shortly thereafter was assigned to England.
“Moving out to England with young children was fun,” Serrill said. “My son learned his initial school in a primary school where he had the strongest little British accent. An accent he lost very quickly when we left England.”
They are good kids who understand the Air Force mission having spent the majority of their lives overseas, Serrill added.
Serrill and his family share a big passion for snow skiing, a hobby from when he was stationed in Japan.
Now living on the sandy shores of Panama City Beach, they have recently immersed themselves in the boating lifestyle.
“Some of my proudest moments, as of late, have been working with my children on the boat,” Serrill said. “I enjoy seeing them mature and grow in their roles as helpers. We enjoy getting home, dropping the boat in the water and going for quick one or two-hour cruises.”
On a personal note, Serrill shared that one of his passions is getting to the bottom of issues and coming up with solutions.
“I’ve often found that when I am struggling with a problem, finding out the details, understanding why the issue exists and getting to the bottom of it is something I find that I can’t NOT do,” Serrill said.
Serrill then goes on to note his admiration for his team here at Tyndall.
“I am proud of the team with some of the changes that we have taken on,” Serrill said. “I was here for 11 months before becoming the commander, so I was able to help work in some of the changes that I am now fortunate enough to experience as the commander. I am really proud of the team for tackling things that are new and unknown and keeping open minds.”
In final thoughts to fellow Airmen, he shared advice once shared with him by his father.
“At the end of the day I hope that folks take a step back and look at the bigger picture, look at who is around you and examine the quality of your relationships with those people because your time in the service will go by rather quickly,” said Serrill. “It is quite an accomplishment to have served a single enlistment, multiple, or even a full career up until retirement. What should stick with you always is the quality of the relationships with the folks around you.”
For more information about the 82nd Aerial Target Squadron click HERE