LOS ANGELES — For 250 years, Americans have helped defend our freedoms and protect our nation. At Edwards Airforce Base in Kern County, Senior Airman Randal Ruiz is carrying on a family legacy of service. “What kept me in the military was finding out my heritage and understanding, the role that I was playing not just for my state and for my nation, but also in my own family,” said Randal Ruiz, a senior airman.