Young man's dream tour causes 'ripple effect'

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mike Hammond
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) --  When a rock hits the calm surface of a pond, ripples form and travel outward in expanding circles. 

The story begins with a 14 year old and his dream -- a goal of overcoming his health problems and flying for the Air Force. 

The boy, Ryan Penne of Chico, Calif., stepped into dreamland last year at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., when he and his family were guests of Col. Darryl W. Burke -- then the 9th Reconnaissance Wing’s vice commander -- for a comprehensive base tour as part of the Make-A-Wish program. 

Ryan suffers from a primary immune deficiency, meaning he does not produce antibodies on his own and must receive antibody replacement via intravenous tube every three weeks. 

His tour of Beale was the equivalent of the proverbial rock thrown in the lake. 

“I was touched at first by his health struggles and wanted to do something to brighten his life a little,” said the colonel, who is now the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing commander at a base in Southwest Asia. 

“After meeting Ryan and talking with him then and subsequently, I’ve become inspired by his drive and determination to serve his country.” 

According to his mother, Danielle Penne, Ryan has wanted to be in the military since he was very small. He really wanted to be in the Air Force, but with no youth program nearby, the Pennes got involved with the U.S. Sea Cadet Corps. The corps is an organization that helps train American youth age 11-17 in sea-going skills while “teaching them patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues,” according to the organization’s Web site. 

Colonel Burke kept in touch with Ryan and his family (Danielle, Ryan’s father, Dale Penne, and brother Aaron, 17) even after moving from Beale to take command of this desert air base half a world away.

“They’ve been good enough to e-mail me, and I make a point to keep up with how they are,” the colonel said. “Ryan asks me for my recommendations on professional reading material and for professional advice. Of course, I’m not in a position to decide whether he’ll ever be able to join the military or not, but I’ve told him of many options available to someone with his motivation and desire to serve.” 

And so it went for a while, an e-mail here and there -- just a regular American family exchanging pleasantries, seeking advice and offering encouragement to the leader of a deployed air base supporting major combat operations every day.

Then in October, another ripple was added to the story when Danielle Penne asked Colonel Burke about sending care packages to the men and women under his command. 

Mrs. Penne is a lieutenant junior grade in the Sea Cadet Officer Corps, which is an organization of adult volunteers committed to directing and guiding the Sea Cadets. The 21-member Golden Bear division cadets organized and publicized a collection drive in their community to send goods to the 380th. 

On Nov. 20, they packaged up the collected items and then put them in the mail Nov. 23. The local community of Chico, Calif., donated more than $300 to help with postage for the nearly 70 boxes being sent. With the bill totaling more than $500, though, the cadets tapped into money from fundraisers.

Colonel Burke said he’s come to appreciate the ripple-effect analogy based on his interaction with the Penne family and the Sea Cadets. 

“It really is amazing to think of all the possibilities and effects of one action,” the colonel said. “At one point, it was a base tour -- and that one tour resulted in me getting the pleasure of knowing this nice family. Now, they have gone out of their way with their local unit and their community to do something nice for our troops here!” 

It started with a boy, his dream and a base tour. The ripples are now traveling across the ocean ... carrying 70 boxes of holiday cheer about to reach these sandy shores.