Ryan Kranc was traveling with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment near Ramadi, Iraq, on July 23, 2003, when his convoy was hit with an improvised explosive device.
Kranc, now an Army major, survived. His commander and friend, Capt. Josh T. Byers, did not.
Six years and two full combat tours later, Islander native Kranc has committed himself to recovering from the emotional wounds sustained on that day in 2003.
While serving in Saudi Arabia in 2009, he notified his command that he had a problem. Although he had sought counseling before, Kranc decided he needed more intervention. He entered treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for six weeks. Kranc said the traumatic events of the war have forever changed his life, but because of his treatment he can now move forward.
