Photo By Airman 1st Class Sarah Ortega Corona | A plaque is displayed in memory of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Kcey Ruiz within the...... read more read more
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U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY – A ceremony to honor the lives of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Kcey Ruiz and 10 others who tragically lost their lives was held on Oct. 2, 2024, within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility (AOR).
The event marked the 9-year anniversary since a C-130J Super Hercules, call-sign TORQUE 62, crashed on departure, claiming the lives of six U.S. Air Force Airmen and five contractors on Oct. 2, 2015.
This touching moment of remembrance came about when a U.S. Air Force command and control operations non commissioned officer in charge assigned to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing discovered an inconsistency in the rank on Ruiz's memorial plaque during his daily route to work.
The plaque is displayed on a building located within Defenders Row, a section of buildings that memorialize fallen Security Forces Airmen.
Struck by her story, he researched further and discovered that Ruiz had been posthumously promoted to Senior Airman and honored with several awards, including the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal.
“That’s when I knew I had to do something to correct it,” the NCO said.
Driven by a deep sense of duty, he took it upon himself to ensure Ruiz's posthumous promotion to Senior Airman was accurately reflected, paying tribute to her sacrifice and honoring her memory. He coordinated with various base agencies, her home unit, and even her first supervisor to gather the necessary information to update the plaque.
“Her first supervisor had nothing but good things to say about her and who she was as a person,” he said. “That’s when it really hit me how important it was to honor her properly."
During the ceremony, a message from Ruiz’s first supervisor was read aloud, offering a heartfelt tribute to the Airman she had been.
“The first thing anyone would tell you about Kcey is that she was extremely energetic and goofy, and she believed in doing her job and keeping those around her included,” the supervisor said. “Kcey was all about the people, and she was the best representation of what a defender should be. As her supervisor, I could always depend on her. She was the only Airman in her group who was multi-certified, and her dedication made 14-hour shifts fly by. It was an absolute privilege to be her first supervisor and flight chief.”
These words painted a vivid picture of Ruiz as not just a dedicated defender, but someone who made a lasting impact on those around her.
With the support of his squadron, the 386th AEW chaplain team, and the Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, he successfully arranged for the plaque to be updated just in time for the anniversary of the tragedy.
“This is something that usually takes weeks, but they managed to get everything done in just two days,” he said. “It really gave me purpose again to be out here and do the mission. I hope that when people come by now, they’ll see Senior Airman Ruiz and take a little time to read about her story and really help them see why we’re out here, even if we’re having hardships back home.”
In Memory of:
Capt. Jordan Pierson
Capt. Jonathan Golden
Staff Sgt. Ryan Hammond
Senior Airman Quinn Johnson-Harris
Senior Airman Nathan Sartain
Senior Airman Kcey Ruiz
| Date Taken: | 10.02.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.11.2024 00:58 |
| Story ID: | 482722 |
| Location: | (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION) |
| Web Views: | 8 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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