Master Sergeant Ivan Ruiz’ Air Force Cross
AW1Ed sends us a link to af.mil which tells the story of Master Sergeant Ivan Ruiz who was awarded the Air Force Cross for his actions on December 10, 2013 in Afghanistan while he was assigned as a PJ to the 22d Expeditionary Special Tactics Squadron;
While moving through several compounds after infiltrating enemy territory with his special operations forces counterparts, Ruiz and two U.S. Army Special Forces teammates became separated from the main friendly element. They were immediately confronted by four insurgents in a point-blank engagement. Ruiz and his teammates quickly killed the enemy, but suddenly became trapped in a courtyard by vicious and intense insurgent crossfire.
“I didn’t really think, I reacted,” Ruiz said. “Anytime something bad happens in my career, I just fall back on my training. It prepares us for what we can encounter when we are doing our work.”
The two Soldiers were immediately wounded by the enemy’s barrage of heavy gunfire and grenades, rendering them immobile and exposed. According to the medal citation, Ruiz sprinted through the waves of gunfire with complete disregard for his own personal safety to defend his teammates in their exposed position.
Ruiz was forced to fight lying flat on the ground due to grenades exploding around him, some only 15 feet from his position. He continued to return fire at multiple enemy locations to prevent enemy fighters from maneuvering toward his teammates.
“I just wanted to make sure my guys didn’t get hurt any more than they already were,” Ruiz said. “I just wanted to do my job.”
Refusing to take cover or leave his wounded teammates exposed to potentially fatal shots, Ruiz continued to fight the enemy alone in the courtyard until reinforcements arrived. Once they did, he advanced again through a hail of gunfire, dragged his teammates to a nearby position of concealment and immediately administered life-saving trauma care. Due to the lack of light, Ruiz had to use night vision goggles to administer the care.
Category: Air Force
A bad ass SEAL I know told me that the real bad assess were PJ’s. Bravo Master Sergeant.
Dude has 9+ rows of ribbons that I can see in the photo…I looked on another photo and counted 37.
You know who has a bigger rack than that?
HIS BALLS 😀
I remember Don Shipley’s description of PJ’s in one of his videos, I think he was advising “Gay-Jay” Kerwin on why he needed to quit posing as one!
From reading this guy’s description of his actions…it was like, “Do the job, get shot at, shoot back, keep working….
NO. FUCKING. FEAR. AT. ALL. Well at least from the way he describes it after the fact.
/Got-Damn amazing…I’d have said, “Well after I shit myself….” 😀
Well deserved. Very happy to see an award of this magnitude took only one year to go through the channels. You don’t see that everyday.
Thank you, MSgt Ruiz. You make me so proud of the USAF, the senior NCO corps, and what you represent – the best of the best.
Another tale of derring-do from the front lines of combat of a very brave man.
Truly a well deserved award.
We are lucky that such men live.
Salute!
OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!!
Any one know if there’s talk of upgrading to a MOH?
“Clang, Clang, Clang.”
Nope, that’s not a fire bell. It’s Master Sergeant Ruiz walking by.
Bravo Zulu, Master Sergeant!
In an unrelated story MSGT Ruiz was sternly admonished by Army Cyber Stalker Sgt What’sher Face for bad language on the internet.
BZ MSGT doing what the Military is supposed to do.
All I had to read was that he had to use NODs to render trauma care (apparently effectively)in addition to his direct combat actions to know this is a guy well worthy of the title hero.
It’s tough to deliver care under goggles. I had to do it on a civ air evac team I was working on and that was with no one shooting at me. Can’t imagine it under fire. PJ’s and Pedros are the only parts of the Air Force we don’t snicker at. Well, that and those crazy shits down in the missile bunkers. We don’t want them to snap.
Um, I think you forgot a few, ANCCPT. Specifically, USAF Combat Controllers.
I wouldn’t recommend snickering at those guys either.
Oh yeah. Those guys. I *suppose* we can give em some credit. 😉 In full disclosure, my grandpa was USAAF before the split, and ended up as a full bird in a SAC missile base somewhere. I for one, am proud that I have family that was ready to vaporize hundreds of millions of Commies for freedom. I’m also shocked that anyone in my direct genetic lineage was trusted with the keys to one of those things, let alone a bunch of em. I suppose the Air Force is ok. At least they ain’t the Navy.
Now there is a real man!
In an earlier engagement…
Wonder if that BSM came with a “V” device?
http://media.dma.mil/2014/Dec/17/2000957993/-1/-1/0/141217-F-TJ158-195.JPG
The Bronze Star has the valor device.
Well done, MSgt Ruiz. My late father – who retired as a USAF MSgt back when the rank didn’t have stripes above the star – would have been damned proud to hear of your actions.
This old soldier is glad to congratulate you on his behalf. Damn well done.
I knew something was weird about those stripes! Let me guess–another McPeakism?
At any rate, kudos and much respect to MSgt Ruiz! Nice to see the Air Force represented well.
Nailed it Eden
1991 and they wanted the E-7, E-8 and E-9 ranks to more significantly represent the “Top Three”…..
/Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Pfingston was in on it too. They both sucked IMHO
Chip: from what some real old sergeants have told me, Top-3 were originally E-8’s & E-9’s. That is, the top 3 percent of the enlisted folks. Remember, when was it, about 1981, 35-10 was amended to allow us to roll up our sleeves on the fatigue uniform? Some folks, including a Chief of Staff (I forget which one) complained they couldn’t tell a TSgt from a MSgt with the sleeves rolled up.
Anyhow, I think McPeak had a crush on the Navy. He decided the Air Force should have a distinctive device similar to CPO’s and officers had to wear their rank insignia on their sleeves. His argument was, as if anyone could argue with him, it was the way it was supposed to be when the blue uniform was invented in the early ’50’s but time got in the way. If that was the case; why didn’t he change majors to squadron leaders, Lt Cols to wing commanders, colonels to group captains, and so forth?
McPeak aside, congrats MSgt Ruiz!
My dad was a MSgt in 1984 when he went off to OTS (made MSgt in 11 years, BTW). He was very happy to see the MSgt stripe moved to the top. He said he had put in a suggestion while he was still a MSgt to move the stripe, because he thought that the Top 3 should be represented with three stripes up. I tend to agree. It’s one of the very few things to be done right during the McPeak uniform screw up days.
Thanks for reviving this, 2T.
Count me among those retired USAF SNCO’s who also thought the stripe change made good sense. It meant for a lot of changing stripes in this household, but it was worth it. My perspective is that even a stopped clock is correct twice a day, so I give no more credit to McPeak for accidently signing off on something good than I do that broken clock.
Meanwhile, it was mostly grumbling within USAF when the change was made, but got a lot of good feedback from other branches that they appreciated it.
Outstanding, Msgt. Ruiz!
Balls. He’s got ’em. Hooah, MSG Ruiz! Hooah!
Congrats MSgt Ruiz. You got some stones.
Upon retirement from the AIrforce MSGT Ruiz will be assuming his civilian duties as a Super Hero.
PJ’s get none of the press but are some of the biggest studs out there. Just ask the other Spec Ops guys.
Well done MSgt Ruiz
Outstanding. Gotta love PJs and TACP guys.
Thank you sir for saving lives, and making the Air Force look good! But mostly for saving lives.
You MSgt Ruiz are what makes America Great. Thank You.
One Bad Ass Air Force Guy for sure !!!
The hadjis couldn’t hit him because the bullets kept bouncing off his huge steel balls.
Get sum.