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Sgt. Ray M. Ranger - U.S. Marine Corps
A year ago, Ray M. Ranger was serving as a deputy sheriff in Platte County, Mo., when, after watching the war unfold on TV, he decided to go back to being a Marine infantryman.
?I saw my Marine brothers over here in Iraq,? said Ranger, now a sergeant who?s currently a squad leader for 2nd Squad, 4th Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, during a recent mission in the city here. ?I wanted to join them in the fight and do my part.?
Exemplifying true patriotism, the 28-year-old from Grosse Ile, Mich., put his law enforcement career, which spans two years, on hold and reenlisted in the Corps in 2004 for a second tour of duty.
Ranger previously served as a rifleman in the Marines from 1995-1999 and left with an honorable discharge.
Replacing his sidearm and badge with an M-16 and the Eagle, Globe and Anchor was an easy choice for Ranger to make.
?I saw my Marine brothers over here in Iraq. I wanted to join them in the fight and do my part,? U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Ray M. Ranger.
?It was something I had to do,? said the 1995 Grosse Ile High School graduate. ?I felt compelled to serve my country and help my fellow Marines. I like the camaraderie, too.?
Shortly after his reenlistment, he received orders to 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. He deployed to Iraq with the infantry battalion early last March to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Ranger knows well the duties of a Marine squad leader in a combat environment.
?I maintain accountability of my Marines and ensure they?re properly trained and equipped,? he explained. ?Physical and mental preparedness is important out here.?
Ranger and his fellow 4th Platoon warriors aren?t strangers to hard work. They conduct operation such as combat foot and vehicle-mounted patrols for hours on end in temperatures of more than 100 degrees in the insurgent infested city for four consecutive days. Then, they man an observation post in the city for four more days.
?The hours are different from those of a police officer,? he said. ?Where I was doing eight hours in the states, we?re always on the go here. Sometimes for 24 hours. We accomplish our missions by giving 110 percent all of the time.?
Ranger has two years left on his contract, and he plans on returning to the sheriff's department when it?s up.
?I?d like to do a full 20 in the Marines, but I have to get out after this enlistment due to personal reasons,? he explained. ?Law enforcement is another passion of mine. It?s something I?ll definitely be going back to.?
Fighting crime and helping civilians back home appeals to Ranger.
?I love putting bad guys in jail and helping people in the community,? said Ranger, who has a two-year-old son named Brendan.
For the time being, Ranger?s squad car is an up-armored humvee, and the bad guys he and his comrades stop are insurgents.
The fact that he?ll be 30 when he puts the badge back on doesn?t bother Ranger.
?The nice thing about law enforcement is that age doesn?t matter,? he said. ?As long as you can take care of yourself, your partner and accomplish the mission.?
