JoAnne Rademacher, Northern Sentry Contributor

On January 3rd, 1992, a baby boy was born to Lori and Dan Ruby of rural Minot, ND. He is number six of ten children, so learned early to play nice in the sandbox, a useful attribute in military life. They named him Matthew; a name of Hebrew origin meaning “gift of God”. Matthew has proven to be a gift to Minot and the broader community of North Dakota through service in the Army National Guard.

Matt was a high school athlete. He enjoyed the teamwork and comradery found within athletic programs so much, it was a mindset he sought out and found in the National Guard when he enlisted in January 2010. After completing part of his basic training the summer after graduation from Magic City High School in Minot, Matt attended Minot State University and completed training the following summer. Life is full and Matt is now a semester away from a History degree.

Private E-1 Ruby moved through the ranks completing numerous trainings and missions. Through 16 years in the National Guard, Sargeant First Class Ruby has served in Mott, Edgely, and two different units in Minot. He is currently serving in the 817th CEC-I (Combat Engineering Company-Infantry) in Jamestown. The 817th CEC-I is trained in demolitions, clearing and making obstacles, and troop mobility. Their chief purpose is providing mobility, counter-mobility, and survivability support specific to infantry combat operations. They are utilized often because of their unique capabilities.

Private Ruby’s Unit was deployed in Minot to assist with sand bagging and other duties during the 2011 flood. Residents were so grateful for their help, as the Guard troops were filling and stacking sandbags in their yards, they fired up grills and served food they’d had to remove from their disabled freezers.

Two events in 2016-17 marked a wild time for our young soldier. In November 2016, Ruby was elected to the ND State House of Representatives for District 40. Also, his National Guard unit was sent to the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protest which lasted from April 2016 to February 2017.

At DAPL, they set up on a hill a little way from the protest site. Their job was to protect private land and keep protesters from terrorizing anyone. There were Native American groups praying for peaceful resolution while protesters needed watching. “We weren’t there to push people out or be activated against anyone. We were there to protect private property.” Again, the overwhelming generosity of area residents was evident in donations of food and supplies brought to their camp.

During this time, Representative Ruby got a two day pass to be sworn in to the Legislature and complete related work. In Bismarck, he crammed four days of business into two, then was back on the line at DAPL. In spring of 2017 he completed his first full legislative session.

Another set of missions stands out for SFC Ruby, the Dense Urban Terrain exercises in Philadelphia 2022, Nashville 2023, and St. Louis 2024. These training exercises were large scale, full-scale training drills devised to test emergency response capabilities. They are conducted by Task Force 46, a specialized 600-personnel homeland security response unit in partnership with local emergency management, fire and police departments, and military units from multiple states.

The size and scope of these missions was huge. Nashville, especially, was a “cool experience” involving 2200 military personnel and civilians. His unit was in Philadelphia as observers, not participants, but in Nashville they were hands on. The scenario here was a CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear) Event in Dense Urban Environment run as a nuclear attack. They rappelled from the heights of the Tennessee Titans football stadium and were set up in the parking lot putting fake casualty dummies on skids and running them over to waiting helicopters which flew over downtown Nashville to land at Vanderbilt Hospital. As soon as casualties were unloaded the troops flew back to the stadium for more.

The St. Louis exercise scenario was set up as an 8.4 magnitude earthquake and chemical contamination. 500 responders, hospitals, and volunteers were on board using military vehicles, helicopters, and damaged debris. SFC Ruby doesn’t consider himself a ‘chemical guy’ so this was a lot of new training for him.

Another highlight of 2024 was an August mission to Ghana. There he spent three days training with Ghanaian special forces and combat engineers followed by four days teaching leadership courses.

When asked what his favorite part of the Army National Guard is, SFC Ruby was quick to point out the people are his purpose. He chose this branch of the Army for several reasons. He gets to stay in North Dakota with his family and friends. “The beauty of the guards is that we get those state missions where we help those we live with. It is extra rewarding knowing that we’re helping our neighbors.”

Many of his best friends are people he serves with. He says, “So many people from different backgrounds, it doesn’t matter what your creed or religion or belief system is. At the end of the day, we come together, put the uniform on, and we have each other’s backs and that builds a special bond I just don’t know where else you’d get.” An E5 who was an early mentor in his military career is now godfather to one of Matt’s sons. The relationships and community he found in the Guard are a valued part of his life. “I’ve got 60 guys I can call on if I need something. It’s exactly what I was looking for.”

SFC and civilian Matthew Ruby is in his happy place here in North Dakota with wife, Dana, and five children. His civilian life centers on family and work as a home appraiser and with construction jobs. He is one of North Dakota’s brightest and best, staying right here, sharing his own gifts to protect and defend this great state and country.