James Ruffer was born in 1943. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve on June 30, 1966, and entered Officer Candidate School at MCS Quantico, Virginia, on October 5, 1966, earning his commission as a 2d Lt in the U.S. Marine Corps on December 16, 1966. Lt Ruffer next attended flight training and was designated a Naval Aviator at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, on August 16, 1968, and then served as an A-4 Skyhawk pilot with VMA-214 at MCAS El Toro, California, from September 1968 to August 1969. He then deployed to Southeast Asia, where he served as an A-4 pilot with VMA-223 at Chu Lai AB, South Vietnam, from August 1969 to January 1970, and with VMA-211 at Bien Hoa AB, South Vietnam, from January to April 1970. Capt Ruffer then served with Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 12 at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, from April to August 1970, followed by service with VMAT-102 at MCAS Yuma, Arizona, from August 1970 until he left active duty on November 1, 1971. He remained in the Marine Corps Reserve until March 28, 1977, completing medical school during this time, and then received a commission as a LT in the U.S. Navy on July 3, 1979. After completing Navy Flight Surgeon training at NAS Pensacola, LCDR Ruffer served as a flight surgeon at Camp Pendleton, California, NAS Lemoore, California, and at MCAS El Toro, California, before leaving the Navy on August 2, 1985. After working in private practice for a short time, he joined the U.S. Air Force as a flight surgeon, receiving a commission as a Major on January 3, 1986. His first assignment with the Air Force was as a flight surgeon at Edwards AFB, California, where he served from January 1986 to January 1988, and during this time he served as the flight surgeon for the crew of the Voyager during its record flight around the world. Lt Col Ruffer next served as a flight surgeon with United States Southern Command in Panama from January 1988 to March 1990, and during this time he assisted Delta Force in the treatment and extraction mission for Kurt Muse, who was being imprisoned in Panama for setting up an anti-Manuel Noriega radio station. He served as Senior Air Force Officer and as Director of the Department of Non-Resident Instruction with the Joint Medical Readiness Training Center at the U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, from March 1990 to September 1992, and during this time he deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm from December 1990 to July 1991. Col Ruffer's final assignment was as an Emergency Room Physician at RAF Lakenheath, England, from September 1992 until his retirement from the Air Force on March 20, 1995.