Ryan Savard enlisted in the Army as a Helicopter Repairmen on August 29, 2001. After completing Initial Entry Training, he served in Germany as a part of the 159th Aviation in Gieblstadt for two years as a UH-60 Repairman. During this time, he was once deployed to Iraq in an effort to help the Operation Iraqi Freedom. In June of 2004, he graduated from the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School and became a Special Forces weapons sergeant. After this, he was assigned to a Special Force Group in Fort Bragg serving as a Special Forces Company Assistant Operations Sergeant and a Special Forces weapons sergeant. In May 2010, Savard was assigned as a Special Operations Team Member, U. S. Army Special Operations Command. He was deployed to Afghanistan twice more in support of the Operation Iraqi Freedom.