Maritza Sáenz Ryan
Encyclopedia
Colonel Maritza Sáenz RyanThis name uses Spanish marriage naming customs; the first is the maiden family name "Sáenz" and the second or matrimonial family name is "Ryan". (born c. 1960), is a United States Army
officer and the head of the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy
. She is the first woman and first Hispanic
(Puerto Rican and Spanish heritage) West Point graduate to serve as an academic department head. She also has the distinction of being the most senior ranking Hispanic Judge Advocate and has been instrumental in raising awareness of the inequity and impracticality of the Combat Exclusion Policy, which restricts women’s roles and opportunities in the military regardless of talent or ability.
to a Puerto Rican
father and a Spanish
mother. There she received her primary and secondary education. In the late 1970s she was accepted in the United States Military Academy, also known as "West Point." There she met fellow cadet Robert Ryan, whom she later married and had two children. She graduated from West Point in 1982 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant
in the Field Artillery. Sáenz Ryan was a member of only the third class to include women cadets at West Point.
, West Germany
. She returned to the United States and as a participant of the under the U.S. Army’s Funded Legal Education Program she went to law school in Nashville, Tenn., at Vanderbilt University
. After earning her law degree, she was selected for Order of the Coif and admitted to the New York bar. Sáenz Ryan was reassigned to the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAGC) as a trial counsel at Fort Sill
, Oklahoma
.
Sáenz Ryan, who had been promoted to the rank of Captain, was deployed overseas during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Shield and was assigned as the brigade legal counsel for a Field Artillery brigade.
She returned to JAG Corps headquarters in Washington, DC. after and earned her Masters degree in Law from the Judge Advocate General’s School in Charleston, Virginia. She was later selected to attend the Command & General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth
, Kansas
. In 1999, while she was attending the Command and General Staff College, doctors had found and removed a cancerous tumor from her leg. Sáenz Ryan recovered and was retained on active duty by the Army. She applied for a position as an Academy professor at West Point..
In August, 2001, she was appointed Deputy Head, Department of Law, at the U.S. Military Academy, one of two newly created permanent military faculty positions in the department. Her Commanding officer and mentor, Brigadier General Pat Finnegan, allowed her to receive treatment for her condition and to have a full recovery before she could assume her position full time.
In 2006, after accepting the presidential nomination and being confirmed by Congress, Sáenz Ryan was named head of the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy. She replaced former head Finnegan, who left to become the academy’s Dean of the Academic Board. She has the distinction of also being the most senior ranking Hispanic Judge Advocate. She also has the distinction of being the first woman and first Hispanic
West Point graduate to serve as an academic department head.
Sáenz Ryan played an instrumental role in raising awareness of the inequity and impracticality of the Combat Exclusion Policy, which restricts women’s roles and opportunities in the military regardless of talent or ability. In 2008, the West Point Center for the Rule of Law was established under her leadership.
Badges
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
officer and the head of the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
. She is the first woman and first Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
(Puerto Rican and Spanish heritage) West Point graduate to serve as an academic department head. She also has the distinction of being the most senior ranking Hispanic Judge Advocate and has been instrumental in raising awareness of the inequity and impracticality of the Combat Exclusion Policy, which restricts women’s roles and opportunities in the military regardless of talent or ability.
Early years
Sáenz Ryan (birth name: Maritza Sáenz) was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to a Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
father and a Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
mother. There she received her primary and secondary education. In the late 1970s she was accepted in the United States Military Academy, also known as "West Point." There she met fellow cadet Robert Ryan, whom she later married and had two children. She graduated from West Point in 1982 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Field Artillery. Sáenz Ryan was a member of only the third class to include women cadets at West Point.
Military career
She was assigned to the 1st Armored Division Artillery in NurembergNuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. She returned to the United States and as a participant of the under the U.S. Army’s Funded Legal Education Program she went to law school in Nashville, Tenn., at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
. After earning her law degree, she was selected for Order of the Coif and admitted to the New York bar. Sáenz Ryan was reassigned to the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAGC) as a trial counsel at Fort Sill
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
Sáenz Ryan, who had been promoted to the rank of Captain, was deployed overseas during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Shield and was assigned as the brigade legal counsel for a Field Artillery brigade.
She returned to JAG Corps headquarters in Washington, DC. after and earned her Masters degree in Law from the Judge Advocate General’s School in Charleston, Virginia. She was later selected to attend the Command & General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. In 1999, while she was attending the Command and General Staff College, doctors had found and removed a cancerous tumor from her leg. Sáenz Ryan recovered and was retained on active duty by the Army. She applied for a position as an Academy professor at West Point..
In August, 2001, she was appointed Deputy Head, Department of Law, at the U.S. Military Academy, one of two newly created permanent military faculty positions in the department. Her Commanding officer and mentor, Brigadier General Pat Finnegan, allowed her to receive treatment for her condition and to have a full recovery before she could assume her position full time.
In 2006, after accepting the presidential nomination and being confirmed by Congress, Sáenz Ryan was named head of the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy. She replaced former head Finnegan, who left to become the academy’s Dean of the Academic Board. She has the distinction of also being the most senior ranking Hispanic Judge Advocate. She also has the distinction of being the first woman and first Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
West Point graduate to serve as an academic department head.
Sáenz Ryan played an instrumental role in raising awareness of the inequity and impracticality of the Combat Exclusion Policy, which restricts women’s roles and opportunities in the military regardless of talent or ability. In 2008, the West Point Center for the Rule of Law was established under her leadership.
Honors
In 2000, Sáenz Ryan was named as one of the top 100 Influential Hispanics by Hispanic Magazine. On August 7, 2010, she was among the recipients of the Margaret Brent Award. The award is given annually by the ABA's (American Bar Association) Commission on Women in the Profession to women lawyers who have achieved professional excellence in their field and share a commitment to champion other women.Military awards decorations
Among Col. Sáenz Ryan 's military awards and decorations are the following:
Meritorious Service MedalMeritorious Service Medal (United States)The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...
Joint Services Commendation MedalCommendation MedalThe Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. For valorous actions in direct contact with an enemy force, but of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Bronze Star, the Valor device may...
Army Commendation MedalCommendation MedalThe Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. For valorous actions in direct contact with an enemy force, but of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Bronze Star, the Valor device may...
National Defense Service MedalNational Defense Service MedalThe National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
Armed Forces Expeditionary MedalArmed Forces Expeditionary MedalThe Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...
Southwest Asia Service MedalSouthwest Asia Service MedalThe Southwest Asia Service Medal is a military award of the United States armed forces which was created by order of President George H.W. Bush on March 12, 1991. The award is intended to recognize those military service members who performed duty during the years of the Persian Gulf War...
Army Service RibbonArmy Service RibbonThe Army Service Ribbon is a military decoration of the United States Army that was established by the Secretary of the Army on 10 April 1981 as announced in Department of the Army General Order 15, dated 10 October 1990....- Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabian)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)The Naut Tahrir al-Kuwait was instituted by King Fahd ibn Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia for service during the Liberation of Kuwait campaign.- Background :... 
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)The Wisam Al-Tahrir was issued by the government of Kuwait for service during the Liberation of Kuwait campaign.-Description:The Kuwait Liberation Medal was approved by the Kuwait Council of Ministers for award in five classes, generally according to the rank of the recipient...
Army Overseas Service RibbonOverseas Service RibbonAn Overseas Service Ribbon is a service military award of the United States military which recognizes those service members who have performed military tours of duty outside the borders of the United States of America. There are different versions of the Overseas Service Ribbons for the U.S. Army,...
Badges
Air Assault BadgeAir Assault BadgeThe Air Assault Badge, pictured to the right, is awarded by the U.S. Army for successful completion of the Air Assault School, a two-week course. The course includes three phases of instruction involving U.S. Army rotary wing aircraft: combat air assault operations; rigging and slingload...
Parachutist badgeParachutist BadgeThe Parachutist Badge or Parachutist Brevet is a military badge awarded by the Armed Forces of most countries in the world to soldiers who receive the proper parachute training and accomplish the required number of jumps. It is difficult to assess which country was the first to introduce such award...
See also
- List of Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Rican military personnel
- Puerto Rican women in the militaryPuerto Rican women in the militaryOne of the least known roles played by Puerto Rican women has been that of revolutionists and soldiers. This is a brief account of some the Puerto Rican women who have participated in military actions either as members of a political revolutionary movement or the Armed Forces of the United...