[2] He flew combat missions in Southeast Asia, including 100 missions over North Vietnam in F-4 Phantom II, as part of the 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron based at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand from October 1967 to August 1968.

From 1971 to 1973, Ryan served as an exchange officer with the Royal Australian Air Force flying the Mirage III.

During 1988, Ryan partook in the National Security Program at John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

[4] During his tenure, Captain Scott O'Grady was shot down in a F-16 Fighting Falcon in early June 1995 over Bosnia by a surface-to-air missile launched by the Army of Republika Srpska.

President Bill Clinton announced the nomination of General Ryan as Chief of Staff of the Air Force on July 31, 1997.

[7] [8] 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.