You are here
Home > News > BHS teacher returns from deployment

BHS teacher returns from deployment

Submitted photo

Sgt. Trever Ray and his daughter. 

Trever Ray, a teacher at Burns High School (BHS), recently returned home from deployment overseas as part of the nation’s Combined Joint Task Force on the Horn of Africa, which comprises Dijoubti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia.

A Sergeant in the Oregon National Guard, Ray credits his family for influencing him to join the military.

“My father was in the Marines, my grandfather was in the Coast Guard, and lots of family members were in the service. I kind of grew up idolizing the military, and with my dad being a Marine, it sounded awesome,” Ray said.

In 2008, after graduating from Madras High School, Ray enlisted in the Marines, which gave him a chance to travel the world and train alongside other countries.

Although he enjoyed being a Marine, after four years of service, Ray decided that it was time to come home to his one-year-old daughter.

“I didn’t want to completely leave the military, so I joined the National Guard,” he said.

Ray joined the National Guard in 2012, and he has been with them ever since.

“I enjoy being able to be with my family while serving and fighting for the country, and getting to do the things I get to do,” he said.

When asked why he still enjoys it, Ray cracked a smile and said, “I’m a motorman, which provides indirect fire support to ground troops. It’s fun flinging 40 to 50-pound munition down range trying to hit targets. We’re a unique breed.”

Ray said he doesn’t get to be the cannon guy anymore. Instead, he’s in the back, running the charts and making sure “friendlies” aren’t being fired upon.

While deployed overseas, Ray was promoted to an E-6 Staff Sergeant. However, his promotion is still not official, as he wasn’t able to complete his required training while deployed. He’s hoping to get it done early next year.

Ray had a couple of memorable moments while overseas. One was receiving a Christmas stocking through a gift-giving program.

He said, “Getting to open your stocking on Christmas day makes you happy. It feels a little bit more like home.”

However, he said his most memorable experience was when he recently got to come home, walk off the plane, and see everybody there, masks and all.

Ray was hired in 2017 as a teacher in the Monroe School, which is housed in the Eastern Oregon Youth Correctional facility. He eventually transferred to BHS where he is the credit recovery teacher. Soon after taking his new position, he found out that he was being deployed again.

Ray mentioned that the hardest part of being deployed, while still trying to be a teacher, is preparing lesson plans long term.

“Unfortunately, I’m not at the point in my teaching career that a lot of the veteran teachers are. I don’t have the tools yet that they do to easily prepare for months in advance. I spend a lot of my spare time preparing lessons while getting to spend time with my family,” Ray said.

While at BHS, he’s had the privilege of teaching seniors.

“I’m not an advocate of not joining the military,” he said. “Even though you’re going to have some rough times occasionally, if you can look through those times to the cool things you get to do, it’s really an amazing experience. For me, it’s an amazing experience. I was able to receive a bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University on a full-ride from the military, and it gives wonderful opportunities and chances that you never would have thought. It might not be exactly what the recruiter told you, but it’s definitely an opportunity and an experience that you’ll never forget for the rest of your life.”

Leave a Reply

Top