News – Sheridan Media
AARP Wyoming has announced that military and firefighting veteran Ross Byrd will be honored as AARP Wyoming’s Hero of the Game during the University of Wyoming Cowboys’ Nov. 22, matchup with Nevada in Laramie. Byrd and his family will receive game tickets, parking, dinner and an on-field recognition.
Byrd said he was “overwhelmingly humbled” by the honor, noting his service was “simply the right thing to do.”
Byrd served eight years in the U.S. military with seven deployments to the Middle East. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1988, later joining both the Wyoming and Montana National Guard. His service included Desert Storm and Desert Shield, convoy security in Iraq and detainee operations. His awards include the Bronze Star, three Iraq Campaign Medals, the Kuwait Liberation Medal and multiple good conduct medals.
A firefighter for 29 years, Byrd spent 15 years with the Laramie Fire Department before moving into wildland firefighting in 2017. He now deploys between 40 and 70 days each year across the Intermountain West, working as an engineer or line paramedic. He continues to train new firefighters and EMTs and notes rising burnout and declining recruitment across the field.
Byrd and his wife, Ann, live near Big Horn, where they raise cattle and hay. He remains active with the Big Horn Volunteer Fire Department, has served on ski patrol in both Sheridan and Albany counties and has volunteered in youth sports and SWAT paramedic support. One of his four children is currently studying pre-med at the University of Wyoming.
See the full story by AARP Wyoming here. For more information, contact Colonel Tim Sheppard at timothy.sheppard@wyo.gov.
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Last modified: November 15, 2025