The Combat Veterans For Congress PAC endorsed the 17th Combat Veteran For Congress.  He is a fiscally conservative candidate whoworked to rein in the out of control spending by the Pelosi Congress.  Col. Frank X. Ryan, USMC (Ret) resides in LebanonCounty, PA and had 34 years of honorable service in the US Marine Corps, won his party’s primary election, and ran in the general election against Cong Tim Holden (D-PA-17).  Frank Ryan was born on May 1, 1951 in Baltimore, MD but has lived in Pennsylvania for over 35 years.  Frank Ryan received a BS from Mt. St. Mary’s College in June 1973 (he graduated Summa cum Laude—1st in his class), he immediately left for active duty in the Marine Corps.  After active duty, Col Ryan completed an MBA in Finance from the University of Maryland in 1977, and passed the CPA exam on his first attempt.   

Frank X. Ryan joined the USMarine Corps on December 18, 1969 was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps on December 17, 1972 (Date of Rank of 1 November 1972).  On October 1, 1995, LtCol Ryan was promoted to Colonel; he was awarded the Legion of Merit Medal in 1995 for classified low intensity conflict operations for supporting SOCOM.  From 1996 to 1998 in Command of the 4th Civil Affairs Group, Col Ryan was awarded a second Legion of Merit Medal for operations in support of the Baltic Region; in 2002 he was awarded with his third Legion of Merit Medal.  In 2001 to 2002 he was assigned as Central Command’s Special Operations Officer for Operation Enduring Freedom, served briefly in Afghanistan and was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.   He retired on September 1, 2002.   Col Ryan was reactivated and from 2004 to 2005 and deployed to Iraq with the Multi National Force on Operation Iraqi Freedom.   He served as Division Chief responsible for Iraq’s national security infrastructure and engagement and he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and retired a second time in 2005, and has also been awarded numerous service and campaign medals. 

After active duty, following completion of his MBA from the Smith School of the University of Maryland, Col Ryan initially worked in the steel industry and other manufacturing companies until he launched his own consulting/CPA firm in 1993.  From 1983 to present, Col Ryan has served in the capacity as a member of the Board of Director of Baltimore’s St. Agnes Hospital and Foundation (1992 to 2009), serving as a Board Member and now President of the Board of Baltimore’s Good Shepherd Center (1990-2001; 2003 to present), serving on the Audit Committee of the Archdiocese of Baltimore (2009 to present).  He is currently a management consultant specializing in crisis management, and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1978 when he passed the exam on the first attempt.  He is very active in the Republican Party of Pennsylvania; he makes extensive public speaking and television appearances..  Frank is also honored to serve as a Knight of Malta which fosters health care and personal service for those in need. Frank has been married to Sherrie for 17 years, and they are the parents of four children, Dan, Matt, Kate and Walt as well as a granddad to two great youngsters.  

 Col Ryan was endorsed by the National Defense PAC, received support from the American Institute of CPAs PAC, the Family PAC, and was the Combat Veterans For Congress PAC.  Col Ryan’s positions have always agreed with the Combat Veterans For Congress Mission Statement.  We look forward to working with Col Ryan, and are pleased that a Veteran of his caliber ran for Congressand we hope he runs again.  We endorsed this fine patriotic Combat Veteran For Congress, that General George Washington would have approved of, he is a veteran who at one point of his life, wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America” for an amount “up to and including his life.”