Ryan Chamberlain
Ryan Chamberlain grew up in Bloomington, IL, and graduated from Central Catholic High School in 2002. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management from Southern Illinois University in 2003.
After two years flying for commercial airlines, Ryan entered the U.S. Navy through Officer Candidate School and was commissioned an Ensign in 2006.
He began aviation indoctrination at NAS Pensacola, then completed primary training in the T-34C Turbo Mentor at NAS Corpus Christi and advanced training in the T-45A Goshawk at NAS Kingsville. He earned his wings of gold in November 2008.
Ryan trained in the F/A-18 Super Hornet with VFA-122, the “Flying Eagles,” before joining VFA-14, the “Tophatters,” at NAS Lemoore in 2009. While there, he served in multiple leadership roles—including Public Affairs Officer, Aircraft Division Officer, NATOPS Officer, Assistant Operations Officer, and Landing Signals Officer. He deployed aboard USS Nimitz and USS John C. Stennis in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, covering both the Western Pacific and Middle East.
In 2012, LT Chamberlain joined the Blue Angels, serving as the Narrator and VIP Pilot during the 2013 season. Over his career, he has logged more than 1,400 flight hours and 300 carrier arrested landings.
Currently flying as a Captain at FedEx Express, Ryan has a unique ability to translate military precision and excellence to civilian audiences as he “bridges the gap” between varying backgrounds and skillsets, showing that any organization can thrive if the right principles are followed.
His decorations include two Strike Flight Air Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and various personal and unit awards.