Colonel Joseph H. Ruiz, Chief of Staff Colonel Joseph Ruiz serves as the Chief of Staff-Air and Senior Advisor to The Adjutant General for the New Jersey Air National Guard (NJANG), headquartered at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. In this capacity, he leads the execution of TAG priorities and directs the synchronization of Air National Guard directorates to enhance mission readiness and operational effectiveness across the force. He oversees strategic initiatives, resource allocation, budget management, manpower, and recruitment efforts, while advising on key policies, programs, and plans that impact the NJANG. As principal liaison to senior state officials, he ensures alignment between military objectives and state-level priorities. Previously, Colonel Ruiz served as the State Staff Judge Advocate-Air, where he was the principal legal advisor to the Assistant Adjutant General of the NJANG. He oversaw two wing legal offices and supervised the state’s Area Defense Counsel. He is an inaugural member of the National Guard Bureau’s Legal Services Advisory Group, which advises the Chief of the National Guard Bureau on legal services across the components. He also serves on the Air National Guard (ANG) Judge Advocate Council as the State Headquarters SJA Liaison and chairs the Regional Judge Advocate Group, directly advising the two-star Assistant to the Judge Advocate General on legal matters impacting all 54 states and territories. Additionally, he has served on the National Guard Bureau Joint Staff as the Deputy Director-and now as the Operations Division Chief-for the Office of Complex Investigations. Colonel Ruiz received a direct commission as an Air Force judge advocate and entered the NJANG in April 2005. He also serves as the Chair of the New Jersey State Bar Military Law and Veterans Affairs Section, where he advises on legislation and initiatives that impact over 400,000 service members and veterans across the state. In previous roles, he represented the Air Force before the Merit Systems Protection Board, Federal Service Impasses Panel, Federal Labor Relations Authority, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, and numerous third-party arbitrators. He also maintained a private appellate and family law practice, arguing more than a dozen cases before the New Jersey Superior Court–Appellate Division and handling both criminal matters at the state and federal level and civil matters. EDUCATION 1996 Bachelor of Science, Administration of Justice, Rutgers College, New Brunswick, N.J. 2000 Juris Doctor, Rutgers School of Law, Newark, N.J. 2005 Commissioned Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2005 Judge Advocate Staff Officer Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2018 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 2025 General and Flag Officer Homeland Security Executive Seminar, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA ASSIGNMENTS 1. April 2005 – October 2009, Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, 108th Air Refueling Wing, McGuire Air Force Base (AFB), N.J. 2. January 2008 – March 2009, Chief, Civil Law, 305th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire AFB, N.J. 3. April 2009 – September 2009, Chief, Contracts and Labor Law, 87th Air Base Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. 4. November 2009 – May 2016, Staff Judge Advocate, 108th Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. 5. October 2009–July 2017, Chief, Labor and Employment Law, 87th Air Base Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix- Lakehurst, N.J. 6. May 2016 – December 2024, State Staff Judge Advocate-Air, Headquarters-NJANG, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. 7. July 2021–present, State Headquarters Liaison to ANG JA Council, National Guard Additional Duty Position 8. December 2024- present, Chief of Staff- Air, Headquarters- NJNG, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 1. October 2023–March 2024, Associate General Counsel, Litigation and Employment Division, Office of General Counsel, National Guard Bureau, The Army Readiness Center, Arlington, VA, as a colonel 2. April 2024– May 2025, Deputy Director, Office of Complex Investigations, National Guard Bureau, The Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, MD, as a colonel MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters Air and Space Commendation Medal EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION First Lieutenant April 10, 2005 Captain Jan. 24, 2007 Major Feb. 1, 2011 Lieutenant Colonel Feb. 11, 2015 Colonel July 31, 2019 (Current as of May 2025)