Tom Ryan (The Unit)
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Colonel Thomas R. Ryan (United States Army, callsign: Blue Iguana) is a fictional character on the CBS television series The Unit. He is portrayed by Robert Patrick.
Colonel Ryan is a long-time Unit operator, serving as a team, troop and squadron commander within the 1st Special Actions Group (official cover as the "303rd Logistical Studies Group") before assuming the position of commanding officer. He has a long-time standing friendship with both retired Sergeant Major Ron Cheals and current Alpha Team leader Sergeant Major Jonas Blane.
In the pilot episode, it is revealed that Ryan is having an affair with Tiffany Gerhardt, wife of senior Unit NCO MacDonald Gerhardt. This is a focal point of much of the first season, with the affair almost exposed at several points. While it seems that Tiffany is truly falling for Ryan while her husband is steadily growing more distant from her, the feeling is not returned. As Unit wife Kim Brown put it, Ryan's in it for the thrill.
At the end of Season 1, Ryan breaks off his ties with Tiffy, and marries a woman named Charlotte Canning, a Washington insider. The newly wed Charlotte was shot twice in the back when a Serbian war criminal discovered the Unit's headquarters and attacked Alpha Team at Ryan's post-wedding celebration.
In Season 2, Ryan is concerned with checking base security in the wake of the attack. In addition, his wife was on the brink of legal trouble when she ran another driver off the road while under the influence of drugs, a crime that Tiffy Gerhardt took the heat for.
The other major concern on Ryan's plate in Season 2 comes after the 303rd is ordered to assassinate the oil minister of Venezuela, and Ryan calls off the mission due to the fact that it's a purely political mission for oil. This comes back to haunt Ryan when White House official Neil Krinsman refuses to help Ryan rescue Jonas Blane from Georgian rebels. Ryan not only arranges Blane's rescue, but also saves Krinsman from an assassination attempt by Georgian rebels (after one of Ryan's support staff 'accidentally' leaks his location).
In early Season 3, Ryan finds out that his wife, Charlotte, has been sold secret informations about the unit so rogue CIA agents are able to use them against members of the unit. After successfully breaking out the CIA's conspiracy, he decides to end his marriage.
On his dress uniform, his patches include the U.S. Army Forces Command, 1st Infantry Division and Ranger Tab. Among his medals and decorations are the Combat Infantryman Badge, Senior Jump Wings, Distinguished Service Medal, Purple Heart, Silver Star and Kuwait Liberation Medal.
His middle name is listed as starting with an R, indicated by the initial both on the Unit's sign and when Colonel Ryan was attempting to mail orders to discreet locations, but a police detective gave Ryan's full name as "Thomas Culver Ryan." This discrepancy has not been explained.
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