Michael E. Ryan is a retired United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 general

General (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...

 and was the 16th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force

Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force

The Chief of Staff of the Air Force is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Air Force, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the...

. 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

Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...

, he and the other service chiefs functioned as military advisers to the Secretary of Defense

United States Secretary of Defense

The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...

, National Security Council

United States National Security Council

The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...

 and the president

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

.

Ryan entered the U.S. Air Force after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy

United States Air Force Academy

The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...

 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

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

, including 100 missions over North Vietnam

North Vietnam

The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...

. 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

Sixteenth Air Force

The 16th Air Expeditionary Task Force is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe...

 and Allied Air Forces Southern Europe in Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, 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

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 and Commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe

Allied Air Forces Central Europe

Allied Air Forces Central Europe was the headquarters for NATO air forces in Central Europe from 1951 to 1967 and from 1974 to 1993.-History:It was first based at Fontainebleau , and originally activated in April 1951...

, with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base

Ramstein Air Base

Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. During Operation Deliberate Force, Ryan personally approved every NATO target during the two-week campaign.

Ryan's father, General John Dale Ryan

John Dale Ryan

General John Dale Ryan was the seventh Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, General Ryan served in a dual capacity...

, was the 7th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force

Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force

The Chief of Staff of the Air Force is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Air Force, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the...

, 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
  Stargate SG-1
  Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
  
  episode Prodigy.

Awards and decorations

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

Command Pilot Badge United States Aviator Badge A United States Aviator Badge refers to three types of aviation badges issued by the United States military, those being for Army, Air Force, and Naval aviation....
	Defense Distinguished Service Medal Defense Distinguished Service Medal The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a United States military award which is presented for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to national security or defense of the United States...  with two oak leaf cluster Oak leaf cluster An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration... s	Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Air Force Distinguished Service Medal The Air Force Distinguished Service Medal was created by an act of the United States Congress on July 6, 1960. The medal was intended as a new decoration of the United States Air Force to replace the policy of awarding the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Air Force personnel.The Air Force...  with oak leaf cluster	Army Distinguished Service Medal
Navy Distinguished Service Medal Navy Distinguished Service Medal The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. The decoration is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Coast...	Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal The Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal is a decoration of the United States Coast Guard that was created in August 1949 by order of the United States Congress. Prior to this date, members of the Coast Guard were eligible to receive the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.The Coast Guard...	Legion of Merit Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...  with two oak leaf clusters	Distinguished Flying Cross Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal (United States) The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...  with two oak leaf clusters	Air Medal Air Medal The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...  with 11 oak leaf clusters	Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters	Presidential Unit Citation Presidential Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
Joint Meritorious Unit Award Joint Meritorious Unit Award The Joint Meritorious Unit Award is a military award that was established on June 4, 1981 by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and was implemented by Department of Defense Directive 1348.27 dated July 22, 1982...	Outstanding Unit Award Outstanding Unit Award The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award is an award of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1954. The award is presented as a ribbon to any command of the U.S...  with Valor device Valor device The Valor device is an award of the United States military which is a bronze attachment to certain medals to indicate that it was received for valor...  and oak leaf cluster	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award Organizational Excellence Award The Air Force Organizational Excellence Award is an award of the United States Air Force and is the lowest ranking unit award. The award was first created in 1969 and is presented to Air Force internal organizations that are entities within larger organizations...  with five oak leaf clusters	Combat Readiness Medal Combat Readiness Medal The Combat Readiness Medal is an award of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1964. The original Combat Readiness Medal was an award senior to the Air Force Commendation Medal and was awarded for superior and meritorious duty to the United States Air Force...
National Defense Service Medal National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...  with service star	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...	Vietnam Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...  with three service stars	Armed Forces Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal The Armed Forces Service Medal is a military award of the United States military which was created on January 11, 1996 by President Bill Clinton under...
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 Air Force Longevity Service Award The Air Force Longevity Service Award is a military award of the United States Air Force which was first issued in 1957 by order of General Thomas D. White, Air Force Chief of Staff...  with seven oak leaf clusters	USAF Marksmanship Ribbon Marksmanship Ribbon A Marksmanship Ribbon is an award of the United States Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard that is issued to service members who pass a weapons qualification course and achieve an above-average score.-Navy:...
Air Force Training Ribbon Air Force Training Ribbon The Air Force Training Ribbon is the lowest military award of the United States Air Force, ranking only above foreign military awards.The Air Force Training Ribbon was authorized by the Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force on October 12, 1980. It is awarded to U.S. Air Force service members on completion...	Grand Cross of the Order of Aeronautical Merit, Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...	Korean Order of National Security Merit, First Class, South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Decoration of the Order of the Sacred Treasure Order of the Sacred Treasure The is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit... , Japan	Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand, Thailand Thailand Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...	Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...	Officer of the Legion of Merit for Aerial Inter-American Confraternity SICOFAA Legion of Merit Medal The SICOFAA Legion of Merit Medal is awarded annually by the Chief of the Air Staff of the host nation of the Conference of the Chiefs of the Air Staff CONJEFAMER of the member nations of the Cooperation System of the American Air Forces... , SICOFAA
Grand Cross of the Order of Aeronautical Merit, Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...  (ribbon of a Cross of the Order in White shown)	Meritorious Service Medal (Military) Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) The Pingat Jasa Gemilang , is awarded to members of the Singapore Armed Forces for exceptionally distinguished performance or extraordinary service, or the furtherance of links with overseas forces.... , Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...	Order of Aeronautical Merit Order of Aeronautical Merit (Brazil) The Order of Aeronautical Merit is an award of the Brazilian Air Force, established on 1 November 1943 by President Getúlio Vargas. The order is presented in five grades and recognizes distinguished service and exceptional contributions to the Brazilian Air Force.... , Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...	Commandeur of the Légion d'honneur Légion d'honneur The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...	Vietnam Gallantry Cross Vietnam Gallantry Cross The Vietnam Gallantry Cross was a military decoration of South Vietnam which wasestablished in August 1950. Also known as the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, the Gallantry Cross was awarded to any military personnel who have accomplished deeds of valor or displayed heroic conduct while fighting an...  Unit Citation with Palm, Republic of Vietnam	NATO Medal NATO Medal The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization . It is manufactured by Eekelers - Centini, International, of Hemiksem, Belgium...  for Yugoslavia, NATO	Vietnam Campaign Medal Vietnam Campaign Medal The Vietnam Campaign Medal is a military recognition awarded by the Republic of Vietnam, , to any member of the United States, Australian, New Zealand and allied military forces serving six months or more in support of Republic of Vietnam military operations.Established in 1966, the decoration is... , Republic of Vietnam
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge The Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge is a U.S. Military badge presented to the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff upon appointment to position as either a Service Head, Vice Chairman, or Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The decoration is also authorized to staff and...