In 1877 Edmund Rice was granted an extended leave to visit the troops and barracks of England and was present at Chatham, England when the Royal British Engineers were testing his "Rice Knife Intrenching Bayonet". He was also given special permission by the War Department to also visit the armies of Austria, France and Germany. Rice was also marketing his Trowel Bayonets and Rice Stacking Swivel to the armies of Europe. While he was there war had broken out between Russia and Turkey.
By command of the Czar he was granted the right to officially visit the Russian and Romanian Lines during the siege of Plevna. He joined the Russian Army, under command of Grand Duke Nicholas and rode with General Skobeloff and the 16th Division at the storming of Green Hill on Nov. 9, 1877. Bvt. Lt. Colonel Rice later was with the 26th Russian Cossacks at the battle of Dolnej-Dulnjak.

He visited Europe again in 1888 and represented the United States Army in the inspection the Spanish and Italian troops and barracks. While in Rome the Minister of War had the sixth regiment of the line, drill and maneuver before him. Edmund Rice served as U.S. Military Attaché at Tokyo, Japan from May 1897 through April of 1898 and was a witness to the Japanese Army's movements at Moji.

At the outbreak of the Spanish American War, he asked to be relieved from duty at Tokyo and given active field command. Now at age 57, Rice was getting ready for his last two wars.