Michael E. Ryan

For other people named Michael Ryan, see Michael Ryan (disambiguation).

Gen. Michael E. Ryan
Born	December 24, 1941 (1941-12-24) (age 69)
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1965–2001
Rank	General
Commands held	61st Tactical Fighter Squadron 432nd Tactical Fighter Wing Allied Air Forces Southern Europe 16th Air Force U.S. Air Forces in Europe Allied Air Forces Central Europe Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2) Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (2) Army Distinguished Service Medal Navy Distinguished Service Medal Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) Distinguished Flying Cross Meritorious Service Medal (2) Air Medal (12) Air Force Commendation Medal (2)

Michael E. Ryan (born December 24, 1941) is a retired United States Air Force general and was the 16th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.^[1] He served as the senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipage of 700,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he and the other service chiefs functioned as military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and the president.

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. He has commanded at the squadron, wing, numbered air force and major command levels. He flew combat in Southeast Asia, including 100 missions over North Vietnam. He also served in staff assignments at the major command level, Headquarters U.S. Air Force and the Joint Staff. As Commander of Sixteenth Air Force and Allied Air Forces Southern Europe in Italy, he directed the NATO air combat operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina which directly contributed to the Dayton Peace Accords.

Before assuming the Chief of Staff position, Ryan was Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe, with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. During Operation Deliberate Force, Ryan personally approved every NATO target during the two-week campaign. ^[2]

Receiving Distinguished Flying Cross from his father, Air Force Chief of Staff John D. Ryan (left), 1969.

Ryan's father, General John Dale Ryan, was the 7th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, from 1969 to 1973.

Ryan retired from the U.S. Air Force on October 1, 2001.

Popular culture

• Appeared as himself in the Stargate SG-1 episode Prodigy.^[3]

Awards and decorations

According to General Michael E. Ryan's official Air Force Bio:

Command Pilot Badge
	Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters	Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster	Army Distinguished Service Medal
Navy Distinguished Service Medal	Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal	Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters	Distinguished Flying Cross
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters	Air Medal with 11 oak leaf clusters	Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters	Presidential Unit Citation
Joint Meritorious Unit Award	Outstanding Unit Award with Valor device and oak leaf cluster	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with five oak leaf clusters	Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal with service star	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal	Vietnam Service Medal with three service stars	Armed Forces Service Medal
Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with oak leaf cluster	Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with two oak leaf clusters	Air Force Longevity Service Award with seven oak leaf clusters	USAF Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon	Grand Cross of the Order of Aeronautical Merit, Chile	Korean Order of National Security Merit, First Class, South Korea	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, Japan
Decoration of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Japan	Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand, Thailand	Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Germany	Officer of the Legion of Merit for Aerial Inter-American Confraternity, SICOFAA
Grand Cross of the Order of Aeronautical Merit, Spain (ribbon of a Cross of the Order in White shown)	Meritorious Service Medal (Military), Singapore	Order of Aeronautical Merit, Brazil	Commandeur of the Légion d'honneur, France
Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau, Netherlands	Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm, Republic of Vietnam	NATO Medal for Yugoslavia, NATO	Vietnam Campaign Medal, Republic of Vietnam
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

References

United States Air Force portal

1. ^ "General Michael E. Ryan". Air Force Link. http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=7007. Retrieved 2009-03-13. 
2. ^ http://www.afa.org/media/reports/april.asp
3. ^ IMDB Cast listing for episode "Prodigy" lists Michael E. Ryan playing himself.

• Bio based on USAF Biography

Military offices
Preceded by Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman	Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force 1997–2001	Succeeded by Gen. John P. Jumper

Persondata
Name	Ryan, Michael E.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	December 24, 1941
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death