Upon completion of his study as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow he reported for active duty to Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island.
In August 1992, upon promotion to the rank of captain, he was assigned as Commanding Officer, Fleet Ocean Surveillance Information Facility, Rota, Spain.
Selected for Rear Admiral (lower half), he returned to the Asia-Pacific region as Director for Intelligence with the Commander-in-Chief, United States Pacific Command.
[3] Ratliff is now President of the Jack Miller Center (JMC), located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which provides support for university and college professors working to strengthen education in American history and institutions.
In addition, the center conducts academic conferences that allow scholars to explore a range of subjects, such as how higher education might respond to the special needs of immigrants.