Ryan Kules

Subject Matter Expert

Mental Health & Wellness

Project Odyssey Director

Ryan Kules joined Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) in 2007 and serves as the national Project Odyssey director.

Prior to joining WWP, Ryan served in the U.S. Army as an armor officer. After completion of armor officer basic and airborne schools, Ryan was assigned to 1st Battalion, 13th Armor Regiment. He deployed to Taji, Iraq, in February 2005, and led patrols, raids, and searches in the area surrounding the base. On November 29, 2005, while returning from an early morning search, Ryan’s vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device (IED) buried in the road.

After being evacuated to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Ryan remained in a coma for two weeks before slowly beginning rehabilitation. During his recovery, he participated in WWP programs as an alumnus before joining the team as an employee. He retired from the Army as a captain in May 2007 and holds a bachelor’s degree in justice studies from Arizona State University.

Ryan resides in Severna Park, Maryland, and enjoys spending time with his wife Nancy and his three children: Jillian, Liv, and Evan.