Hi, I stumbled across your site and your support of our troops impressed me greatly. I would like to tell you about my son, Ryan Broda, because he is my Hometown Hero. He will be 23 years old this month.

He wanted to join the Air Force Reserves and his wife, Amy, agreed to let that happen in spite of the fact that it would take him away from her and their three children – Maria (9), Catline (3), and Jackson (1). He left home last June, and just returned in mid-March from his Aerospace Medical Transport training.

Yesterday, he found out that he is leaving again for another 30 days of training, and upon completion of that training he will be deployable. His absence has been hard on their family. However, Ryan has such a sense of accomplishment and pride, especially when he is wearing the uniforms that reflect his desire to serve America. I have been employed as an RN at a VA Medical Center for over 20 years, and Ryan grew up with the belief that service to our country is not an obligation so much as it is an honor. Thank you for hearing our story.

Kelli Matthews