Colonel Ralph Dillard
Background
Dillard is a colonel in the United Kingdom Royal Air Force and the commander of Geilenkirchen NATO Air Base, Germany. He is also a Desert Storm veteran as part of an AWACS crew. Dillard feels he has a debt to Steve Foster due to Steve saving Dillard when a flock of geese in Alaska caused their plane to crash and Steve pulled an unconscious Dillard to safety.
During the events of 100 Degrees Below Zero (2013) played by John Rhys Davies
Dillard receives a call from Dr. Goldschein who tells him an ash cloud caused by a series of volcanic eruptions will block out the sun causing a cataclysmic temperature drop for the next 18 to 24 months. Dr. Goldschein arrives at Geilenkirchen Air Base and tells Dillard the continent will enter into a new ice age based on the lack of sunlight. Steve calls Dillard who then tells Steve about the climactic weather and NATO has enacted Operation Down Under, which is the evacuation of NATO personnel and their families to Australia. Dillard advises Steve to go to Evreux Air Base where an air transport will take him to Paris. He also tells Dillard he has made a reservation for Steve and his wife Lacey Foster to take a train at the Chunnel. Dillard believes Steve is dead when Lieutenant Perkins tells Dillard the Chunnel has collapsed killing everyone in the train Steve and Lacey were supposed to be on. Steve calls Dillard and Dillard informs him that Paris is no longer safe and Dillard will have a military patrol pick up Steve’s kids Taryn and Ryan. While waiting on the Transall C-160 aircraft that will take them to Australia, the NATO personnel watch as the helicopter Steve, his family and Angelique were flying on crashes. An American Scientist believes they should leave now, while the C-160 Pilot tells Dillard he doesn’t think there would be any survivors of the helicopter crash. Dillard refuses to accept Steve is dead and takes a group of NATO troops to search the crash site, where they find Steve, his family and Angelique alive. Dillard and the rest of the group return to the C-160 and the plane and everyone with it lifts off towards Australia.
