Published: July 07, 2009 12:40 am      

Soldier, family enjoy break before deployment

By Kelsey Palmer

news@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Forth of July is always a great time to honor the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, but this Independence Day is especially important for the Ray family of Jacksonville because their son is home for a two-week break before his first deployment to Iraq.

A 2008 Jacksonville High School graduate, Pvt. Joshua Ray began his journey in the Army in August 2008. He was stationed at Fort Benning, Ga., a month later and graduated Advanced Individual Training that December. He moved on to Fort Lewis, Wash., where he was trained for deployment and worked with the “Stryker,” an eight-wheeled all-wheel drive Interim Armored Vehicle used by the U.S. military. During his training, Ray also navigated back and forth between Fort Lewis and other training centers in Southern California, including the Marine Corp Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms and the Army’s National Training Center in Fort Irwin.

Friday, July 4, Ray’s father and stepmother, John and Rebecca Ray, picked up their son from the Tyler airport and brought him home to Jacksonville for his first break since Christmas. Though he cannot say he has any specific plans for the rest of his break, Ray spent his Forth of July among family and friends at the Ray family reunion.

“This two-week break is much needed, but I would like it to be longer,” Ray said. “Still, I am really ready to go (to Iraq) and get it over with. A lot of the fighting has died down, and we will be following the Iraqis instead of leading.”

Ray enlisted for three years, but his stepmother said joining the army was really spur of the moment.

“It was like one day he was thinking about it and the next day he did it,” she said. “At first he just went to talk to the recruiter and ended up testing so well (on the Army Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test) that he enlisted.”

After his break, Ray will finish up training and then in late August be deployed to Iraq for his first time.

Ray is currently a Private E-2 in the 2nd Platoon, 1-23 Infantry and says he’s pretty confident in the training he’s received in the Army. And even though they know he has been trained well, the Ray family members still have their fears about his deployment.

“Honestly, we’re scared to death. We’re scared for his safety,” Rebecca Ray said, “but he has been trained in the Stryker so he won’t be on feet and that makes us (his family) feel a little better.

“The commander went over there earlier to check it out and he said it was OK,” she added. “He’s (the commander’s) also sending pictures to them (others about to deploy) to let them know what to expect.”

According to Ray, he feels proud to be a part of the Army, but also says that the experience has made him more disciplined, and most of all, it has shaped him for life.

“One thing that I’ve learned about myself is that I can be pushed farther than I ever thought imaginable,” Ray said. “As for the Army, every group will have little feuds and fights, but when it comes down to it, we all come together as one and get down to work.”