Michael E. Ryan

Michael Edward Ryan Ryan entered the U.S. Air Force after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy in 1965; he was a graduate of Omaha Creighton Prep High School. Ryan's father, General John Dale Ryan, was the 7th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, from 1969 to 1973.

As Commander of Sixteenth Air Force at Aviano Air Base and Allied Air Forces Southern Europe in Naples, from 1994 to 1996, Lieutenant General Ryan directed the NATO air combat operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, including the bombing missions of Operation Deliberate Force, which created the context for the U.S. to broker the Dayton Peace Accords between the parties in conflict. Ryan personally approved every NATO target during the two-week Operation Deliberate Force campaign. During his tenure, USAF captain Scott O'Grady was shot down in an F-16 Fighting Falcon in early June 1995 over Bosnia by a surface-to-air missile launched by the Army of Republika Srpska. O'Grady was rescued a week later.

Before assuming the Chief of Staff position, General Ryan was from April 1996 to October 1997 dual-hatted as Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Commander of Allied Air Forces Central Europe, with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. President Bill Clinton announced the nomination of General Ryan as Chief of Staff of the Air Force on July 31, 1997.

During Operation Allied Force in April 1999, General Ryan made taskings to improve the capability of the Predator drone to collect time-sensitive intelligence for targeting, the results of which would later prove useful in Operation Enduring Freedom. General Ryan formally retired from the U.S. Air Force on October 1, 2001: although the first day on the job of his successor, General John P. Jumper, was on September 11, 2001.

Awards and decorations Air Force Chief of Staff General Michael E. Ryan with Secretary of the Air Force F. Whitten Peters at The Pentagon in 2001. General Michael E. Ryan with Brigadier General Robert Latiff (commander of Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center) and General Richard B. Myers (CINCNORAD/USCINCSPACE/COMAFSPC) standing outside the North portal at Cheyenne Mountain Complex on September 1, 1999.

Personal decorationsDefense Distinguished Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clustersAir Force Distinguished Service Medal with bronze oak leaf clusterArmy Distinguished Service MedalNavy Distinguished Service MedalCoast Guard Distinguished Service MedalLegion of Merit with two bronze oak leaf clustersDistinguished Flying CrossMeritorious Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clustersAir Medal with two silver and one bronze oak leaf clusterAir Force Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clustersUnit awardsPresidential Unit CitationJoint Meritorious Unit AwardAir Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor device and bronze oak leaf clusterAir Force Organizational Excellence Award with two oak leaf clustersService awardsCombat Readiness MedalCampaign and service medalsNational Defense Service Medal with two bronze service starsArmed Forces Expeditionary MedalVietnam Service Medal with three bronze service starsArmed Forces Service MedalService, training, and marksmanship awardsAir Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with bronze oak leaf clusterAir Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with two bronze oak leaf clustersAir Force Longevity Service Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clustersSmall Arms Expert Marksmanship RibbonAir Force Training RibbonForeign awardsChilean Grand Cross of the Order of Aeronautical MeritSouth Korean Order of National Security Merit, Tong-il MedalJapanese Order of the Rising Sun, 1st ClassJapanese Order of the Sacred TreasureThe Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand, 1st ClassOrder of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Knight Commander's CrossSpanish Grand Cross of the Order of Aeronautical MeritSingaporean Meritorious Service Medal (Military)Brazilian Order of Aeronautical Merit, Grand OfficerFrench Legion of Honour, Commandeur MedalNetherlands Order of Orange-Nassau w/ swords, CommanderVietnam Gallantry Cross Unit AwardNATO Medal for Former YugoslaviaSICOFAA Legion of Merit Officer MedalVietnam Campaign Medal

Effective dates of promotion

Popular culture General Michael E. Ryan appeared as himself in the Stargate SG-1 4th season episode 19 "Prodigy", a cable television series filmed in Canada receiving technical assistance from the Air Force Entertainment Liaison Office. He agreed to guest-star on Stargate SG-1 because as he put it, "The ideas that come out of science fiction are often more science than fiction." Lead actor Richard Dean Anderson later recalled asking General Ryan off camera if he had subordinates as irreverent as Anderson's character Jack O'Neill. According to Anderson the reply was, "Son, yes. We've got colonels like you and worse."