Joe Ramirez, born Jose, is a Ghost Recon team member who fought with Scott Mitchell during the Korean conflict and the Mexican insurgency.
Years later, while leading his own team in Nicaragua, a dirty bomb exploded and killed him and his team.
History
Jose "Joe" Ramirez is a first-generation Mexican-American born in the suburbs of Los Angeles, California. Joe never found common ground with his parents, who stuck tightly to the traditions of the life they’d left behind in Mexico. His need to be alone led him to pursue his true passion: radios. A ham radio operator from the time he was 10, Jose enjoyed creating links that spanned the world. The explosion of the Internet in the late 1990s only increased his desire to learn about faraway people and places. During that time, his connections grew as his skills increased.[1]
After graduating from high school, Joe drifted into the hacker community. After a few brushes with the law, a police officer suggested that he would go into the Army and settle down before he did something really stupid.
Military Career
Training
Ramirez joined the United States Army as an Airborne Ranger and was assigned to the 75th Rangers. He became a Radio Telephone Operator (RTO) and later a Squad Leader of a Ranger infantry squad after completion of Ranger School.
He performed two tours in the Pashtun region of Pakistan as part of a Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) task force to engage enemy fighters, and to kill or capture high value targets in the area. Ramirez would earn a Purple Heart and a Silver Star for his actions.[1]
He was later placed on orders to a desk job at OCS, but was recruited for duty in Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group: The Ghosts.[1]
Korean conflicts (2007, 2011)
Ramirez fought in first and second Korean conflicts under the command of Captain Scott Mitchell.[2]
Waziristan (2009)
In January 2009, he was assigned to a mission at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. They conducted a HALO jump and dressed up as locals. At the Taliban safe-house, they breached the door and rescued Sergeant "Rutang" McDaniel and two CIA agents. They barely evacuated before being overrun by many insurgents.[3]
War Wraith (2012)
In April 2012, Ramirez again found himself led by Mitchell during Operation War Wraith, to neutralize the Spring Tigers in China.[3]
Mexican insurgency (2013)
Ramirez in GRAW 2
Ramirez was under the command of Captain Mitchell in 2013 during the Mexican Insurgency. He was inserted prior to Mitchell's team, and watched the Nicaraguan rebels sell the Guardrail IX device to Carlos Ontiveros. He was seen by the rebels, and wounded. Bud was able to extract him. He soon returned to duty during Ontiveros' coup there.[4]
Afghanistan (2013)
Ramirez joined Mitchell and the Ghosts in Afghanistan on a mission to kill a supposed terrorist Mullah Zahed. During this mission, the team ran into many problems related to court martial. During one of these problems, Ramirez killed a young Army Private during a firefight near a cave opening. Mitchell was wary of him from that point on. Later, he assisted Mitchell in hunting Zahed in the Taliban cave complex.[5]
Death (2024)
Ramirez shortly before his death in Nicaragua
By the year 2024, Ramirez is placed as Ghost Lead of the Advanced Force Operations Team Predator, deployed in Nicaragua to disrupt an arms shipment. The team consists of Ramirez, Haynes, McGann, and Richard Allen, who is the team's scout and former member of Mitchell's Ghost team. Predator finds and investigates a nuclear warhead, but Ramirez notices too late that a bomb attached to the case has been triggered. His teammates are killed by the blast, but Ramirez manages to cling to a cliff and survive the initial explosion. However, his arms are burned by the radioactive material and he falls to his death.[6]
Personality and traits
As an introvert, joining the Army was a shock. After Basic, his sergeant realized the youth had an iron will coupled with intelligence, and convinced him to apply for Ranger school. He is the funny guy in the squad which everyone likes.[1]
His mission in Mexico touches him personally due to his strong family links.[1]
Gallery
Trivia
- In GRAW2, Ramirez uses an Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle, while in GRAW, he uses an MR-C Carbine. His favorite weapon is known to be the M8 Carbine.
- He is well known as "Scott's sidekick" because he has been with him since his appearance.
- He was killed in the novel Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Combat Ops, but he later appeared alive in a later game. The discrepancy has not been officially addressed.
- He was dead at the age of 46.
- In Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands: Dark Waters, Mitchell mentions that Astra Galinsky once kicked Ramirez in the groin after he made a joke to her about Russian training methods and that he "walked around cross-eyed for a week."
Appearances
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon novel
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 (First appearance)
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Combat Ops
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands: Dark Waters (mentioned)