Answering the Call to Serve

WHEN Ryan D. McCarthy ’92 was a kid, he dreamed of being in the military. The call to serve was practically encoded into his DNA. His grandfather had served in World War II and his father, the first mentor in his life, was a veteran of the Vietnam War.

At Loyola, he found another mentor: Head Coach and former U.S. Marine Frank J. Amato. It was during this period that McCarthy’s journey from Rambler to Army Ranger to Secretary of the U.S. Army really began.

“As a husband, father, coach and former Marine who served in World War II, Coach Amato exhibited many of the values that were instilled in me at Loyola,” McCarthy recalls. “He showed me what right looked like.”

McCarthy remembers having several conversations with Coach Amato about his future—–conversations that led to his decision to attend the Virginia Military Institute and eventually join the Army Rangers, known as the “Ironmen” of the U.S. military.

After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, McCarthy’s unit—–the 75th Ranger Regiment of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command—–led the way in assisting the Northern Alliance forces, a group dedicated to defeating the Taliban in Afghanistan.

He returned to the U.S. in 2002 to work in the private sector. But this chapter was cut short by a profound personal loss.

Ryan McCarthy '92

“My roommate from college was killed in Iraq, and I thought seriously about returning to active duty,” he confides. “But, after talking to some friends, I started looking for a different path—–one that would allow me to influence major policy decisions at the macro level.”

That path would eventually lead to the Pentagon, where McCarthy served in variety of roles ranging from special assistant to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to his appointment in 2017 as Undersecretary of the U.S. Army.

In September 2019, McCarthy took on a role that he had spent a lifetime preparing for when he was sworn in as the 24th Secretary of the U.S. Army.

In his new position, he oversees 1.2 million soldiers, more than 300,000 civilian employees, millions of military family members and a $178-billion budget.

“It’s a massive responsibility, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for our country,” he acknowledges. “But it is the greatest professional honor of my career. I will remain in this role and run as hard as I can for as long as they will let me.”

McCarthy’s dedication to his new position is fueled by a fierce loyalty to the nation that he has risked his life to protect. But this former member of one of America’s most elite military forces—–who was inducted into the Army Ranger Hall of Fame in 2019 for his extraordinary contributions to national security—–is also driven by the memory of those who can no longer serve.

“I have a lot of friends at Arlington National Cemetery,” he says quietly. “People I care about are gone, and I think about them every day. It’s why I do what I do.”

Secretary of the Army Hon. Ryan D. McCarthy ’92 (above left) with U.S. Army War College Commandant Maj. Gen. John S. Kem during a visit to the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania