Joining me today is Army MAJ (Ret) Ruslan Emelyanov. Ruslan was born and raised in the former Soviet Union. When he turned 18, he was conscripted into the Soviet Army in 1989 and chose to be a Paratrooper. Over the next couple years, he accepted an invitation to attend the newly formed Russian Military Academy. He graduated in 1995 and was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Russian Army. He had also earned his Jumpmaster status at that time. His first assignment was to join his new unit already fighting in the First Chechen War. At the conclusion of the war, his unit redeployed in December 1996. Ruslan was then reassigned to Moscow and transferred to the Military Police. In 1998 as a Captain, he resigned his Commission and left the Russian Army. Family relatives who lived in California applied for a Green Card for Ruslan, and in 2000, he joined his relatives in Carmel, CA. When the Sep 11th attacks occurred in 2001, he contacted an Army recruiter about the possibility of joining the U.S. Army. The recruiter said he could enlist with a Green Card and signed him up as an 11B Infantry MOS. At 28, he attended Basic Training at Ft. Benning, GA. After graduating Basic, he attended Jump School and earned his U.S. Parachute Badge. His first assignment was to B Co., 2/35th Infantry at Schofield Barracks, HI. In 2003, he renounced his Russian citizenship and was sworn in as a U.S. citizen. In April 2004, his unit deployed to Afghanistan for a year tour. Upon returning, he was promoted to SGT. He also earned Jumpmaster in the U.S. Army. A few years later, he was recommended for OCS at Ft. Benning, and in 2007 he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Infantry. In 2009, Ruslan changed branches to Civil Affairs and spent the next 12 years working with Special Operations Forces out of Ft. Bragg, NC. He retired from the Army in 2023.