Page 8 - Nellis AFB Bullseye 8-14-15

8 August 14, 2015 Creech Feature BULLSEYE

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Overcoming all odds: Airman defeats toughest adversary yet

By Airman 1st Class Christian Clausen Operations Group commander. “Keeney
aced his squadron command tour by
432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing setting high standards, holding people
Public Affairs to those high standards, and rewarding
top performance.”
CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nev.
“Being the squadron commander for
— He awoke on a frigid Washington, the 15th was the best job I’ve ever had,”
Keeney said. “It was a whirlwind and I’m
%$
NPSOJOH DPNQMFUFMZ CMJOE BOE eternally grateful for leadership giving
me the chance to command and take
was rushed through the cold snow-laden care of people and ultimately help them
fulfill their dreams.”
streets in a furious sprint to the hospital.
Even Aimee made an impact on the
A few hours later, Ryan Keeney re- 15th RS and Creech AFB. She created
a strong spouses group, held multiple
ceived the worst news of his life. He had events, and generating newsletters to
keep everyone informed.
been diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous
“Not only did Keeney and his leader-
Leukemia, a deadly form of cancer which ship team perform well in all mission
areas, but they helped take care of the
without quick treatment can claim the Hunter Family,” Cheater said. “Along
with his vivacious wife, Aimee, the
lives of its victims within months; even Keeney’s organized a squadron luau, and
were instrumental in helping organize a
with the treatment, the survival rate is a Halloween party that was attended by
over 380 trick-or-treating Hunters and
slim 40 percent. mini-Hunters. What an awesome event.”

He was thrown into a world he didn’t Keeney attributes his success and
survival largely to his wife.
understand, just hours before he was
“There’s no way I could have done it
waking up to spend the day before Courtesy photograph without Aimee,” Keeney said. “She was
always positive, supportive, and did all
Thanksgiving with his family. Wednes- Lt. Col Ryan Keeney poses for a photo with his sons Connor and Finnegan. the research on everything I was going
through. Going to the hospital was a
day, November 24th, 2010 became a day daily occurrence and she was always
right by my side.”
that changed his life forever. ing status, and began the next step of his said, gazing in the distance as he remi-
The rest of the world didn’t stop for
“I was admitted to the George Wash- career as a squadron commander. nisced. “It was a difficult environment to her to take care of her husband; Aimee
still had to be a mother.
ington National Hospital and I stayed “I was hired in January 2012 to go be be in; people literally right next to you
“I’m truly amazed she was able sup-
there for the next five weeks being treated the squadron commander of the 49th are dying.” port me, know everything about every-
thing with the cancer, and be able to raise
with initial rounds of chemotherapy,” Fighter Training Squadron conducting Keeney underwent two more rounds the kids in as normal of a life as possible,”
he said. “They were still in school, sports,
said now Lt. Col. Ryan Keeney, former introduction to fighter fundamentals of chemotherapy and was selected for and extra-curriculars.”

15th Reconnaissance Squadron com- courses at Columbus Air Force Base in an experimental stem cell transplant in Aimee even developed traditions and
ways around hospital policies to cheer her
mander. Mississippi,” Keeney said. “Then I went September 2012. husband up and keep the kids connected.

The first night was overwhelming, his to train for six months before taking “Essentially what the doctors did was “Typically kids aren’t allowed in the
oncology ward so Aimee came up with
mind raced faster than a formula one car. command.” give me enough chemo to kill my bone ways for the kids and I to communicate,”
he said. “She would take the kids to the
His future would no longer be as he had Keeney completed his training and marrow and then give me stem cells from street where I could see them from my
room, the kids would look through a
envisioned. CFHBOIJTUSJQCBDLUP8BTIJOHUPO%$ umbilical cords,” he said. “It was a new telescope and I would look through bin-
oculars while we talked on the phone.”
“What concerned me the most was On the way there he stopped at the cancer procedure; I was actually patient number
Keeney went on to say “She kept me
not being able to see my boys Connor hospital where he would see a familiar two on the study.” going throughout everything and kept
the family together and I’m so lucky to
and Finnegan grow up and see their face. This procedure left him too sick to have her.”

graduation, and get married,” he said. “One of my friends and heroes, Col. hardly move or eat. The short 15-step Keeney is also grateful for the benevo-
lence of others during his time of need.
“I was feeling a great sense of loss of not Michael Stapleton was there being treat- walk to the bedroom was almost too
“Ultimately it was the kindness of oth-
being able to be involved in the rest of ed for a different type of leukemia,” he daunting a task. ers that kept me alive,” he said. “From the
many units of donated blood I used, to
their lives.” said. “He was one of the guys I looked up “Aimee knew that I responded well to the baby’s umbilical cords, I’m eternally
grateful for everyone.”
His career would take a turn as well, to and it was tough seeing him like that.” challenges and got me a pedometer,” Kee-
Keeney went on to say he encourages
while worried at first, the feeling didn’t Keeney wished his friend well and ney said. “My challenge was to take one others to participate in blood and bone
marrow drives or donating umbilical
last long. returned home to his family. All seemed more step than the day prior. Every day I cords so others may be saved.

“The first day I was worried about not well, he was 18 months in remission, and would try to walk around the apartment,

being able to fly anymore,” the former his house was packed up for his new as- after just 100 steps or so I would have

F-15 Eagle pilot said. “After that day I got signment. to sleep for hours, that’s how incredibly

over myself, realized that wasn’t what was %VSJOH IJT ĕOBM NFEJDBM FWBMVBUJPO exhausted I was.”

important and moved on and recognized prior to permanent change of station, He continued to recover over the next

that this was just a challenge I needed to he received some heart-wrenching news. year and a half, regained his flying status,

overcome.” Just nine days before his change of and received a job offer to be a squadron

Keeney spent the next five months command, Keeney had relapsed. commander in May 2014.

undergoing four more rounds of sick- “The doctor let me drive home that “I got a call from Col. Michael King

ening and fatigue-inducing chemo. The night to tell my family,” he said. “I was asking if I wanted to go be a remotely

balloons from his kids, which decorated worried that I had gotten lucky the first piloted aircraft squadron commander

his bleak hospital room to keep him time and I wouldn’t be so lucky with the at Creech Air Force Base,” he said. “It

company, and the support from his wife second time. We had just started to relax was one of the most exciting questions of

kept his spirits high. and it felt like the rug got yanked out my life, I thought my second chance to

His morale also received a nice boost from under me.” command had passed and I would never

when he promoted to the next rank while His wife Aimee and two boys were be able to, let alone to command Airmen

in the hospital. worried, but ultimately knew they would in combat.”

“The chief of staff and vice chief of just have to get through it again together. He took command in June 2014 and

staff of the Air Force came to promote me The family packed their suitcases, even though he only served as squadron

to lieutenant colonel,” he said. “I was in these belongings being the only posses- commander for less than a year, he led

my hospital gown and mask during the sions they would have for the next year. the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron

whole thing and they even put my rank Just two days later Keeney was airlifted through some impressive milestones.

on the gown.” EPXOUP.%"OEFSTFO$BODFS$FOUFS “Keeney led the mighty pigeons of the

Seventeen months later and after in Texas, the same center where he had 15th RS for only 11 months in accom-

recovering from the chemo, Keeney’s visited his friend just four days prior. plishing over 21,000 flying hours, 348

cancer went into remission. He was able “Unfortunately my friend didn’t make airstrikes, 570 enemy personnel elimi-

to live normally again, regained his fly- it, he passed away after I got there,” he nated,” said Col. Julian Cheater, 432nd