John D. Ryan August 1, 1969 - July 31, 1973 John D. Ryan was born on December 10, 1915, in Cherokee, Iowa, and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1938. After receiving his wings in 1939, he served during World War II in the United States and Europe, flying fifty-eight combat BB17 missions. After the war, he held various positions, including tours in Air Training Command and Strategic Air Command. After serving as Commander in Chief of both Strategic Air Command and Pacific Air Forces, Ryan was appointed Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force in August 1968, and then Chief of S
John D. Ryan August 1, 1969 - July 31, 1973 John D. Ryan was born on December 10, 1915, in Cherokee, Iowa, and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1938. After receiving his wings in 1939, he served during World War II in the United States and Europe, flying fifty-eight combat BB17 missions. After the war, he held various positions, including tours in Air Training Command and Strategic Air Command. After serving as Commander in Chief of both Strategic Air Command and Pacific Air Forces, Ryan was appointed Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force in August 1968, and then Chief of Staff in August 1969, the first Chief of Staff to achieve the rank of general after the end of World War II. Two of his basic and long-term goals were to provide for the security of the country and to help create a world environment in which other free countries can survive and prosper, but conditions had changed. The war in Southeast Asia demanded a large and capable Air Force, and the constant strategic threat of the Soviet bloc required attention. The Soviet Union had achieved military parity with the United States as domestic political pressures had reduced military programs; while, at the same time, weaker nations were becoming more susceptible to insurgencies. Ryan had to reconcile these threats with limited budgets and explain Air Force policy to a divided Congress. To counteract these trends, he sought better methods of performing Air Force missions by introducing improved equipment such as the AMSACthe advanced manned strategic aircraft, the BB1Cthe all-jet strategic airlift for the overseas deployment and resupply of combat forces, and advanced satellite systems for tactical and strategic reconnaissance and by developing a tactical satellite communications system to keep in touch more effectively with military forces around the world. During his tenure as chief, he endured the death of his eldest son, Capt. John D. Ryan, Jr., who was killed in 1970 when the FB4D f
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