Sponsored Veteran Spotlight: Carlos Colon-Ruiz
Provided by Citizen Watch.
Carlos Colon-Ruiz: Iraq Vet Tackles New Adventure in His First Tandem Skydive
Carlos Colon-Ruiz joined the U.S. Army after watching news coverage of the war in Iraq and seeing the opportunity to make a difference – both as a soldier and for his family in Puerto Rico.
“By joining the Army, I knew that through service I could give my family a better future than the one we had in Puerto Rico,” he says. “I was sent to Ramadi, Iraq, in 2006 directly out of basic training to finish the current deployment with my unit, and in 2008, I was redeployed to Wardak, Afghanistan.”
While in Afghanistan, Carlos sustained serious injuries after being hit by an armor-piercing RPG, which resulted in the loss of one eye, two fingers, hearing in his left ear and partial hearing in his right ear and caused extensive scarring.
“I woke up a month later in Bethesda Naval hospital, having lost 50 pounds of muscle and looking like a skeleton,” he says. “I’m lucky to be alive, but most of all, I’m proud of my military service and would do it again all over if I had the opportunity.”
Carlos’s time with Jump for Valor helped him connect with other veterans in advance of his first-ever tandem jump skydiving experience.
“The jump itself was incredible,” he shared. “Feeling everything rush by was so freeing, and I couldn’t help but experience it all as it was happening. It was a transportive experience, and I’m glad I participated alongside these other amazing veterans.
Post skydive!
About Jump for Valor x Citizen Watch
Carlos was able to experience his tandem jump with Jump for Valor thanks to sponsorship from Citizen Watch. He, along with other veterans, participated in the Jump for Valor Boogie at Skydive Suffolk in Suffolk, Virginia, over Veterans Day Weekend 2021. As part of the program, ten veteran participants received free tandem skydives and complementary Citizen Watch timepieces courtesy of Citizen Watch.
Photos by Evan Dvorkin, Jump for Valor Veterans Day Event at Skydive Suffolk.