Bryan Ritter led the Irmo Town Council in the Pledge of Allegiance for their meeting June 16 at the Municipal Building.
Afterwards, Ritter was presented with the Air Force flag that has flown at the Veterans Park in Irmo.
Ritter joined the United States Air Force 21 October 1980, he attended Chapel Management Specialist School at Kessler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi. He arrived at Bolling AFB as an Airman Basic but left in 1984 as a Sargent being assigned to RAF Chicksand in the United Kingdom where he served as the Chief Chapel Support Activities.
While at RAF Chicksands he was instrumental is the chapel receiving the number one chapel in United States Air Forces in Europe twice while earning the Outstanding Unit Award the next year for the Squadron. During his military career Bryan was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal with two devices, Air Force Achievement Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal with two devices, and various ribbons.
After leaving the Air Force, Ritter and his family moved back to his hometown of Columbus, Ohio and he began working for the Department of Veteran Affairs Outpatient Clinic as a Fiscal Accountant. He then changed career fields moving to Information Technology working for the VISN 10 Office directly under the Chief Information Officer. His new role was the Video Conferencing Manager at the Regional level in 1999 where he piloted the program started by Dr.Greenwell at VA Headquarters to provide TeleHealth to the veterans as well as conducting meetings by video to save travel costs for Directors and Staff from all over Ohio, Michigan, and part of Indiana which produced millions in savings.
In December of 2016 Bryan retired with 38 years of Federal Service. Upon retirement he moved to Columbia with his wife Janmarie where he worked for Lowes Home Improvement for more than three years before retiring in 2020. He was a soccer official and refereed recreational games at SOAR and the Irmo Chapin Recreation Center. In 2025 Ritter became the Second Vice Commander for American Legion Post 174. He is also an active member of Midtown Fellowship, and sound man for the “All for Him” singing group. He has two married daughters in Ohio, Kathleen (Cody) McClary and Kimberly (Logan) Kantnar, bonus children, Isaiah, Josiah, Silas, and Prisca Arendash and four grand children Emmett, Dean, Payton, and Samuel. Bryan enjoys golfing, fishing, and camping with Janmarie and their two dogs Mollie and Millie.
