SFT Baum died of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by small arms fire in Karmah, Iraq. Assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.  SGT Baum was the youngest Jump Master in US army and received the Purple Heart.

He lived in Aurora, CO and graduated from Smoky Hill High School in 1996. Friends remember him as a stubborn person but after joining the Army, he became an absolutely amazing person, man, father and son - he found his niche. He grew from a kid who defied authority into a man who soldiers on the front lines could count on. He was an Army Ranger medic called "Doc Baum" and his comrades described him as the finest American soldier – talented, dedicated and proud. He was just a day away from a two-week leave so he could witness the birth of his first child, a daughter. But he volunteered for one last mission in Iraq because he didn't want to let his fellow soldiers down.  He died on May 18, 2007.  Leia Ryan Baum was born May 29th, 2007.

Ryan loved hiking and camping in Castle Wood Canyon in Parker with his family.  His wife and was so excited to see him meet his daughter.