Celebrating Veterans Day: Meet Albert Ruffin, Jr., Special Officer

When Veterans Day comes around each year, longtime NYCHA employee Albert Ruffin, Jr. is proud to know that he is among those whose service to their country is being recognized.  

“I think it’s a day that should be honored, and I’m proud to be able to say that I’m included in that honor,” said Mr. Ruffin, a U.S. Army veteran who works as a Special Officer in NYCHA’s Office of Safety and Security. “I try to keep in mind that we’re celebrating people who have sacrificed their lives, people who were willing to sacrifice their lives, and people who are still willing to sacrifice their lives as we speak.” 

A Brooklyn native, Mr. Ruffin joined many of his classmates in enlisting with the military in the summer after graduating high school in Georgia. His father had served with the Army during the Vietnam War, and he believed the military offered a unique opportunity to start his work experience.  

“The job aspect of it was appealing,” Mr. Ruffin recalled.  

During his years of active-duty service with the Army from 1985 to 1989, Mr. Ruffin attained the role of Communications Operator 36M, which involved helping to ensure that frontline operations received proper assignments from headquarters. After being stationed at bases across the South in South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas, he spent the last two years of active duty at a base in Garlstedt, Germany.  

For the longtime New Yorker, serving overseas made it possible to learn about other cultures, including winemaking in Germany, while also getting the chance to visit surrounding countries such as France and Spain.  

“It was a big thing for me to get out of Brooklyn and the United States and to see other countries,” he said. 

Beyond the opportunities to serve his country, further his career, and travel, Mr. Ruffin credits his time with the U.S. military for teaching him survival skills and preparing him for being a respected member of society.  

“In the field, you learn how to do everything out of your Kevlar helmet. The military also teaches you that you need to rely on each other to survive,” he described. “My time with the service also helped me to be more presentable, more responsible, and to take my job seriously.”   

Though Mr. Ruffin’s years in the service were free of combat missions, he and his fellow servicemembers at the time were on standby for potential operations in advance of the Gulf War. The risk of going to combat is always there, noted Mr. Ruffin, who expressed pride in the sacrifices each member of the military makes in defending freedom.  

“You go in knowing the risk and you’re still willing to go through with it,” he said. “It made me feel proud that I was representing the country and it helped me understand that people make sacrifices. Someone else is making a sacrifice for you even though you may not know it.” 

After completing his active-duty service, Mr. Ruffin continued working in communications as a civilian for several years before joining NYCHA as a Special Officer in 2003. His responsibilities include overseeing access control for NYCHA developments and facilities across the city and working with the NYPD and NYC Department of Homeless Services to provide outreach and assistance for people experiencing homelessness in local communities. Whether it’s by wearing his Army stripes or representing the NYCHA workforce, doing his part to ensure safety and security has been at the forefront of Mr. Ruffin’s mission. 

“I feel that public service is my calling,” Mr. Ruffin said. “First it was public service on a national level and now it’s public service on a city level. It’s something I enjoy doing, so that’s the key.”   

Photo caption: U.S. Army veteran Albert Ruffin, Jr. has served as a NYCHA Special Officer since 2003.