Ryan Weaver: I’m That Guy

I’m always on the lookout for good music.  And for me, what makes good music even better is when the artist turns out to be a great person. 

Meet Ryan Weaver.  He’s a country music artist who proudly serves as an active duty soldier, Chief Warrant Officer 3, in the United States Army.  And he has a pretty incredible story.

Ryan was adopted at 10 months old, along with his older brother Aaron, by the Weaver family. Ryan grew up living all over the state of Florida, one of eight siblings, and the youngest of three Weaver boys. Older brothers Steve and Aaron joined the military and attended flight school. When his time came, Ryan followed in their shoes. Three Weaver boys. Three Army Warrant Officers. Three helicopter pilots.

Ryan’s brother Aaron died in 2004 when his Black Hawk was shot down by enemy fire in Iraq. At that time Ryan was also deployed in Iraq as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. Ryan certainly understood mortality and the risks of combat, after all, Aaron had survived the bloody 1993 battle in Mogadishu, Somalia that became the basis for the movie, Black Hawk Down. When Aaron died, however, something changed for Ryan Weaver. He returned from combat and took a position training the next generation of Army aviators and officers at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and has not piloted a Black Hawk since that fateful day.

Now Ryan is more than an active duty service member and a country music star, but he is also one of the many country music singers supporting Blue Star Families with their Suicide Prevention PSA to prevent suicide among our military and their families.

So my featured song for this week’s What’s YOUR Song Linkup with Goodnight Moon is called “I’m That Guy” by Ryan Weaver.  But make sure you check out his other songs (click here).  And definitely check him out and “like” him on Facebook!