In The Military

Oakland Tribune, Nov 21, 2008 by Anonymous

Air Force Capt. Ryan S. Simms, son of Mike and Inge Simms, of Lafayette, is a member of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, responsible for the Air Force's high-altitude reconnaissance mission with the ability to provide high-quality imagery from the far reaches of Earth's atmosphere.

Airmen at Beale Air Force Base work with both the U-2 manned and Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft that provide commanders and other decision-makers with near real-time and high-resolution imagery. Simms is a pilot with the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron, working with the Global Hawk aircraft.

He has flown over 150 hours supporting more than 100 combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan. He oversaw the collection of hundreds of images used to find and track enemy activity on the ground.

Simms, a 1997 graduate of Campolindo High School in Moraga, later earned his bachelor's degree from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.