Janice Butler Ryckeley (1955-2019), of Lumberton, North Carolina, served in the Air Force Nurse Corps from 1980-2001. She retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Janice Butler Ryckeley was born 25 November 1955 in Bladen County, North Carolina. She graduated from East Bladen High School in 1974. After completing a few years of college work in a University of North Carolina at Wilmington exchange course and on site coursework at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ryckeley transferred to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Nursing in 1977. During a senior career day in Spring 1980, shortly before graduation, Ryckeley had the opportunity to speak with a United States Air Force recruiter, and soon after decided to pursue military flight nursing. Ryckeley was commissioned in December 1980, and left for a two-week officer training and medical orientation at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, in January 1981. Her first station was Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. During her time there, Ryckeley worked in the Intensive Care Unit, and through her training she found a passion for cardiology nursing. In 1983, Ryckeley left Eglin Air Force Base for a six week, temporary duty, flight nurse course at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, where she learned about the barometric/pressure-related concerns of taking care of patients at altitude. In August 1983, Ryckeley was sent to Rhein-Main Air Base, Frankfurt, Germany. She worked with the 2nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, flying missions to retrieve active duty soldiers in places such as Turkey, Cyprus, Africa, and the Middle East. In July 1985, Ryckeley took part in the recovery of hostages from hijacked TWA Flight 847. In August 1985, Ryckeley received orders to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. She was first assigned to the Intensive Care and the Coronary Care units, before transitioning into management, where she learned hematology, oncology, and how to administer chemotherapy. Ryckeley also had the opportunity to work with many VIPs while stationed at Andrews. She married her husband, whom she had met while at Eglin Air Force Base, in 1987, while he was stationed at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. In November 1988, Ryckeley received orders to Dover Air Force Base, where she worked in the Emergency Room and obstetrics. She volunteered to be part of the first air transportable hospital at Dover, and deployed in December 1990 to Royal Air Force Oman Thumrait in the Persian Gulf to assist with the establishment of a hospital. She was stationed there for six months. After returning to the United States, Ryckeley and her husband received joint orders to Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma in November 1991, where she worked in the hospital. In the summer of 1995, Ryckeley and her husband again received joint orders, this time to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. She worked in the Global Patient Requirement Center, assisting with the movement of military patients around the world. From 1998 to 2001, Ryckeley was stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. In 2001, with a desire to care for her son, Ryckeley decided to retire from the United States Air Force Nurse Corps.
