Anthony J. Ruscitto ’22, G’23, L’27, has lived a life of service since he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at age 17. And, while he’s no longer flying in military helicopters around the world, he has landed in a place close to home where he can be a voice to those in need: the Syracuse University College of Law.
Ruscitto served for five years as a CH-53H Super Stallion helicopter crew chief, which included two deployments overseas as a sergeant, weapons and tactics instructor, responsible for training enlisted aircrew at the squadron level. He received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2nd award), Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (2nd award) for honorable service.
It was the military that first showed him how critical it is to master the basics before you practice something and dig deep to fully understand rules and regulations. Ruscitto has since adapted those lessons to navigate his continuing commitment to helping others, as well as drill down into military regulations and learn what options, resources and benefits are available to him and other veterans.
During his time on campus, he served as president of the Syracuse University Student Veterans Organization and as a program advisor and graduate student researcher for the Syracuse University D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). His commitment to serving other veterans was recognized when he was named one of the Top 8 student-veterans in the nation in 2022 and, in 2023, was named Student-Veteran of the Year by the Syracuse University Office of Veterans and Military Affairs. True to his nature, he also found other paths to service, too, volunteering as a CPR instructor and an EMT for Syracuse University Ambulance Services.