The Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield man’s Navy job is to arm fighter aircraft on USS Carl Vinson

BY STEVEN MAYER smayer@bakersfield.com

He’s a Bakersfield native and a graduate of Foothill High School, but right now Bryan Ruiz isn’t living in Bakersfield.

He isn’t even living on dry land.

The U.S. Navy seaman apprentice spends most of his days on a floating city — otherwise known as the USS Carl Vinson, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that boasts about 5,000 crew members.

As an aviation ordnanceman airman, Ruiz’s job is to maintain powerful 20mm gun systems on F/A-18F Super Hornets, the Navy fighters assigned to the “Bounty Hunters” of Strike Fighter Squadron 2.

“We work together, we eat together as a family. There is never a moment when AOs (aviation ordinancemen) don’t stick together,” the 27-year-old sailor said in an email from somewhere in the eastern Pacific.

Ruiz had been onboard the Vinson since early June as the carrier group conducted routine maritime operations as part of the U.S. 3rd Fleet. But the massive ship was expected to put into port near San Diego sometime this week.

Navy ordnance men share some of the more highrisk responsibilities in the armed forces. They handle and service weapons and ammunition carried on Navy aircraft.

Duties include inspecting, maintaining and repairing the aircraft’s mechanical and electrical armament systems. Aviation ordnance men also stow, assemble and load aviation ammunition that may include any number of missiles, rockets and bullets.

According to the Navy’s website, “as an Aviation Ordnanceman, you are the fire behind the firepower, in charge of all aircraft ammunition.”

Ruiz is relatively new to the Navy, having enlisted in November, just four months after he and Carolina, his longtime girlfriend, were married.

She remained back home in Bakersfield, where she’s learning what it means to be the wife of a sailor. Her husband’s next tour aboard the Vinson could last 10 months.

“I don’t think you can ever really be prepared,” she said of the sacrifice Navy couples must make.

“But I’m very proud of him,” she said. “I’m very proud to say I’m his wife.”

Seaman Ruiz’s mom, Christie Ruiz, also lives in Bakersfield.

“I’m really proud of Bryan,” she said. “You give up your freedom, you give up so much to do this.”

In a way, she said, you give up the person you have been for the person the Navy needs you to be.

Right now, this sailor from Bakersfield is just aiming to do the best job he can do. After all, lives might someday depend on the work he does.

“There is a rewarding feeling when uploading and downloading the weapon,” Ruiz said. “(I am) very proud at the end of the day that what we do contributes to the mission. It’s a rewarding moment and feeling that we in the shop get at the end of the day.”

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2021-07-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-07-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://bakersfield.pressreader.com/article/281552293895758

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