Ryan Gunning
Marine Corps veteran, University of Alabama graduate, Jacksonville, Florida
I'm Ryan Gunning, a Marine Corps veteran living in Jacksonville, Florida. I served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2014 to 2018, went through Airborne School and SERE School, and deployed to Africa and the Middle East.
After the Marines, I spent my years in Tuscaloosa at The University of Alabama, earning a degree in operations management with a minor in supply chain management, and then an accelerated master's in operations management. I made the President's List and Dean's List along the way, and I still think operations management is one of the best degrees a veteran can choose, because it puts what you learned in uniform to work in the classroom.
Today my focus is The Calm Seas Project, a 501(c)(3) that gets veterans out on the water and connected with each other. "The Marine Corps taught me that no one gets through the hard days alone. That truth didn't expire when I hung up the uniform, and The Calm Seas Project is how I keep faith with the men and women who still carry the weight of service."
Coming up: Veteran Wellness Retreat
The Calm Seas Project is hosting a Veteran Wellness Retreat in Jacksonville, Florida, November 6–8, 2026, for seven veterans from all branches. The weekend includes guided charter fishing, a sound bath and breathwork, group meals, and a virtual wellness session.
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