Chris Ryan

Chris Ryan
Birth name	Colin Armstrong
Born	1961 (age 55–56) Rowlands Gill, County Durham, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1978–1994
Rank	Sergeant
Service number	24496702
Unit	Parachute Regiment Special Air Service
Battles/wars	The Troubles Gulf War
Awards	Military Medal
Other work	Author, television presenter

Colin Armstrong, MM (born 1961), usually known by the pseudonym and pen-name of Chris Ryan, is an author, television presenter, security consultant and former Special Air Service sergeant. Ryan came to public prominence for being the only member of the ill-fated SAS mission Bravo Two Zero to both survive and escape capture during the Gulf War.

After the publication of fellow patrol member Andy McNab's Bravo Two Zero in 1993, Ryan published his own account of his experiences during the mission entitled The One That Got Away in 1995. Both accounts have been heavily criticised by former SAS member and explorer Michael Asher, who retraced the patrol's footsteps and claimed to have largely debunked both accounts as well as the then-SAS regimental sergeant major Peter Ratcliffe and the other surviving members of Bravo Two Zero in their own published accounts, as largely fictionalised versions of events.

Since retiring from the British Army Ryan has published several fiction and non-fiction books, including Strike Back, which was subsequently adapted into a television series for Sky 1 and co-created the ITV action series Ultimate Force. He has also presented or appeared in numerous television documentaries connected to the military or law enforcement.

Ryan was born in Rowlands Gill in County Durham. After attending Hookergate School, he enrolled in the British Army as a boy soldier at the age of 16. Ryan's cousin was a member of the reservist 23 SAS Regiment and invited Ryan to come up and "see what it's like to be in the army". Ryan did this nearly every weekend, almost passing selection several times, but he was too young to continue and do 'test week'. When he was old enough, he passed selection into 23 SAS. Shortly after that he began selection for the regular 22 SAS Regiment and joined 'B' Squadron as a medic. Needing a parent regiment, Ryan and a soldier who had joined 22 SAS from the Royal Navy, spent eight weeks with the Parachute Regiment before returning to 'B' Squadron. He spent the next seven years carrying out both covert and overt operations with the SAS around the world.

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Wikipedia