U.S. Marine Corps Veteran · President & Founder, The Calm Seas Project · Jacksonville, FL
Ryan Gunning served in the United States Marine Corps from 2014 to 2018, finishing as a Sergeant. An Airborne and Air Delivery Specialist and parachutist with the Marine Raider Regiment, he worked within Marine Special Operations Teams as an enabler. He completed Airborne School in 2015 and SERE School in 2016, then deployed to Africa in 2016 and to the Middle East in 2017 and 2018.
After completing his service in 2018, Ryan enrolled at The University of Alabama, earning a bachelor's degree in operations management with a minor in supply chain management and an accelerated master's in operations management (Master of Science, June 2025). Throughout his undergraduate studies he was named repeatedly to the UA President's List and Dean's List, served as a board member of the Campus Veterans Association, and advocated for student veterans who were not receiving the educational benefits they had earned.
An avid fisherman and diver, Ryan is the President and Founder of The Calm Seas Project, a Jacksonville nonprofit he started with fellow University of Alabama graduates to get veterans and first responders out on the water. He lives in Jacksonville, Florida.
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.
Veterans, the water, and community.
Ryan Gunning on what peer-reviewed studies and VA research say about group fishing and outdoor trips for veterans, four days before The Calm Seas Project's Jacksonville, FL retreat.
Ryan Gunning on Jacksonville's free Veterans Day Parade, Nov. 11 at 11:01 a.m.: the route, where to watch, road closures and more veteran events on the First Coast.
Ryan Gunning on VA's plan to hire 2,000+ claims processors, its record FY2026 claims year, and WARTAC, a way to train for VA claims work before EAS.
American Valor by Ryan Gunning: 1st Lt. William Deane Hawkins led his scout-sniper platoon onto Betio at Tarawa in November 1943 and received the Medal of Honor.
Ryan Gunning on the 2d Marine Raiders' month-long Long Patrol on Guadalcanal, which began in November 1942, and how Carlson's Raiders gave us “Gung Ho.”
Ryan Gunning, Marine veteran and UA grad, on the Crimson Tide's fourth-quarter comeback over Texas A&M, the bye week, and the road to LSU and Bama Salute.
Ryan Gunning on Quantico's new National Testing Center: free CLEP and DSST exams for Marines, and how veterans can use the GI Bill for test fees.
Ryan Gunning on the shared meals at The Calm Seas Project's Jacksonville, FL veteran retreat, Nov 6–8, 2026, and what research says about eating together.
Ryan Gunning on free national park and refuge entry on Veterans Day 2026, and how veterans can claim the free Military Lifetime Pass.
Famous Amos founder Wally Amos served in the Air Force at Hickam in Hawaii, then turned his aunt's cookie recipe into a national brand and a literacy mission.
Ryan Gunning on the 3d Marine Division landing at Bougainville on Nov. 1, 1943: a rough surf, 12 beaches, and the first Marine war dogs in combat.
Ryan Gunning on why student veterans should file the FAFSA: independent status, Pell Grants up to $7,395, and keeping GI Bill benefits off the income lines.
Ryan Gunning on why mail call still matters to deployed troops, and the 2026 USPS deadlines for APO/FPO/DPO holiday packages, starting Nov. 4.
Ryan Gunning on the sound bath at The Calm Seas Project's Veteran Wellness Retreat in Jacksonville, FL, Nov 6–8, 2026: what it is and why it's on the schedule.
Ryan Gunning on Keen Sword 27, the Oct. 19-29 exercise in Japan with about 56,000 troops from nine nations, and the logistics and casualty care behind it.
American Valor by Ryan Gunning: Cpl. Jason Dunham, who covered a grenade with his helmet and body in Karabilah, Iraq, in 2004 and received the Medal of Honor.
Ryan Gunning on the 3.6% cost-of-living increase for 2027: when it reaches VA disability and military retirement pay, what it covers, and what to check now.
Ryan Gunning on student veteran life at the University of Alabama: Veteran & Military Affairs, the Campus Veterans Association, Operation Iron Ruck, and owning your benefits.
Ryan Gunning on the 22d MAU, the Beirut-bound Marines who turned south and landed on Grenada on October 25, 1983, during Operation Urgent Fury.
Ryan Gunning on what the research says about breathwork for veterans, and why The Calm Seas Project builds it into its Jacksonville, FL retreat, Nov 6–8, 2026.
Ryan Gunning on the veterans who meet for a Buddy Check on the 22nd of every month, VA's simple tips for checking in, and why one text can matter.
Walmart founder Sam Walton served as an Army officer in World War II, then used his Army savings to buy one Arkansas variety store. Here is how he built Walmart.
Ryan Gunning on the 2d Parachute Battalion's Choiseul raid, Oct. 28 to Nov. 3, 1943: paratroopers who went in by sea, and the air delivery job they left behind.
Ryan Gunning on turning military experience into a civilian resume: the JST, VMET, O*NET Military Crosswalk, results-focused bullets, and internships.
Ryan Gunning on VA's new pilot at six VA medical centers, including Orlando, that sets up a VA.gov account in minutes, plus the PACT Act toxic exposure screening.
Ryan Gunning on black drum around Jacksonville, FL: where they feed, baits that work, the late-winter spawn, and the FWC 14 to 24 inch slot.
Ryan Gunning on the 51st Marine Corps Marathon, Sunday, October 25, 2026, in Arlington and Washington, D.C.: start times, race weekend, and why it matters.
Ryan Gunning on the wellness side of The Calm Seas Project—movement, time in the water, and recovery—ahead of the Jacksonville, FL weekend, Nov 6–8, 2026.
American Valor by Ryan Gunning: Sgt. Maj. Dan Daly, the only enlisted Marine to receive the Medal of Honor twice, at Peking in 1900 and Haiti in 1915.
Ryan Gunning on MARADMIN 479/26: Semper Fit is looking for Marine athletes and coaches for the 2027 All-Marine teams, from cross country to rugby.
Marine veteran and University of Alabama graduate Ryan Gunning on the Crimson Tide's 2026 season, Bryant-Denny game days in Tuscaloosa, and Bama Salute.
Ryan Gunning on the Marine Corps AI fellowship, a five-month program with the Naval Postgraduate School that puts Marines to work on real command problems.
Ryan Gunning on MARADMIN 501/26: how active-duty and Reserve Marines can get up to $2,000 per child back for qualifying adoption expenses.
Ryan Gunning's packing list for The Calm Seas Project veterans fishing weekend in Jacksonville, FL, Nov 6–8, 2026: what we cover and what to bring.
Ryan Gunning on MARADMIN 496/26 and why Cybersecurity Awareness Month matters for Marines and veterans online.
Marine veteran Mike Ilitch founded Little Caesars in 1959, owned Detroit sports teams, and built a veterans franchise program after his service.
Ryan Gunning on DoD SkillBridge—civilian job training before EAS—and how Marines can start looking at opportunities while still on active duty.
Ryan Gunning on the Marine Corps meeting its FY26 recruiting mission—31,250 enlisted, strong retention, and a head start on FY27.
Ryan Gunning's guide to Jacksonville public boat ramps: where to launch near Mayport, the ICW, and the St. Johns, plus ramp etiquette and Florida boater rules.
Ryan Gunning, Marine veteran in Jacksonville, FL, remembers the 241 Marines, sailors, and soldiers killed in the Beirut barracks bombing on October 23, 1983.
Ryan Gunning on trip prep for The Calm Seas Project’s Nov 6–8 Jacksonville weekend: boats, gear, food, and getting eight veterans on the water.
Sgt. John "Manila John" Basilone held the line at Guadalcanal in October 1942, earning the Medal of Honor, then returned to combat and fell at Iwo Jima.
Ryan Gunning on his Tuscaloosa years: from four years in the Marine Corps to operations management degrees and President's List honors at the University of Alabama.
Ryan Gunning on what the research says about time in nature, on the water, and in a cold plunge, and why The Calm Seas Project builds trips around it.
GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons went from Marine rifleman in Vietnam to building Parsons Technology and GoDaddy, and credits the Corps for his success.
Ryan Gunning on planning a bachelor's and master's around 36 months of Post-9/11 GI Bill entitlement, plus Yellow Ribbon and the Rogers STEM Scholarship.
Ryan Gunning on reading tides and currents for Jacksonville inshore fishing: picking the right NOAA station, how timing shifts up the St. Johns, and fishing moving water.
Ryan Gunning on The Calm Seas Project mission and three simple ways to support veterans and first responders on the water this fall in Jacksonville, FL.
Ryan Gunning launches Soldier of Fortune, a series on veterans in business, with FedEx founder Fred Smith, a Marine Corps Vietnam veteran who received the Silver Star.
Ryan Gunning, Marine Corps veteran and University of Alabama graduate, on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, VR&E, Pell Grants, VA work-study, and why internships matter.
Ryan Gunning on targeting sheepshead around Jacksonville docks, bridges, and jetties, plus FWC size and bag limits for 2026.
The Calm Seas Project, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that offers all-expenses-paid fishing and diving excursions for veterans and first responders facing PTSD and mental health struggles, creating space to breathe again, together, on the water.
The Calm Seas Project began as an idea among friends on a fishing trip, founded on the belief that sometimes the most meaningful conversations happen on the water. In its first four months, the nonprofit raised more than $40,000 to support veterans and first responders. It's not simply about fishing; it's about bringing them back together and reminding them they're never alone.
In April 2026, The Calm Seas Project hosted a Marine Raider Reunion in Pensacola, in honor of a fallen Marine Raider brother. Next up: a veterans fishing event in Jacksonville, FL, Nov 6–8, 2026, with eight military veterans.
Short videos from Ryan Gunning and The Calm Seas Project. More on Ryan Gunning's YouTube channel.
Board member of the University of Alabama Campus Veterans Association, which helps put on community events such as Operation Iron Ruck.
Service, The Calm Seas Project, and life on the water.