About Colonel Owen Ray
Retired Green Beret | Health and Human Performance Advocate | Committed to Alleviate Suffering and Living a Fuller Life | Helping Restore, Reconcile and Repurpose Lives 

Colonel Owen Ray has served his country with distinction for twenty-five years and is a decorated war veteran. He was deployed eight times, six of them to combat zones across the Middle East and Asia.

Col. Ray has served in some of the United States’ sensitive and high-pressure jobs, including a prestigious appointment as Military Aide to the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, detailed to the US Central Intelligence Agency, directed combat operations to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria as well as commanded one of only five active Army Special Forces Groups in the nation.

Colonel Owen’s career highlights include Commander of the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) and Joint Task Force – INDOPACOM, Director of Operations for Special Operations Joint Task Force, responsible to defeat the ISIS Caliphate in Iraq and Syria and synchronizing national counterterrorism efforts in Afghanistan. Colonel Ray retired in 2021 after serving as the Chief of Staff for I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Among his numerous achievements, he received the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, two Bronze Star Medals, three Legion of Merit Medals, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals and consistently received superb performance reviews, to include 3 Multi-Star evaluations as a Colonel. In 2016, Col. Ray was inducted into the National ROTC Hall of Fame.

He holds master’s degrees in Public Policy from the University of Missouri and Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS). While at HKS, Col. Ray also completed the Harvard Law School Program of Negotiation and earned the Littauer Award for leadership and academic excellence. Colonel Ray served as a National Security Fellow at the University of Washington and is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College.

Col. Ray is a graduate of Airborne School, Mountain Warfare School, Engineer Officer Basic and Advance Courses, Ranger School, Jumpmaster School, Special Forces Qualification Course, SERE, Military Free Fall School, and US Army Command and General Staff College. He also attended Special Operations Language Training for Tagalog. Col. Ray has extensive experience in Asia and the Middle East and expertise in national security, international relations, counterterrorism and alleviating human suffering.

As the cumulative cost of decades of war and service to the Nation, Col. Ray suffered mental and physical deterioration that led to transformation and a path to recover, restore health and repurpose his life. He continues to serve others through research, education, and advocacy to improve health and provide the skills to live a better, fuller life. An active speaker and writer on mental health and human performance, Col. Ray is committed to helping the many across the Armed Forces, law enforcement, first responders and society that are suffering in silence.

Col. Ray has three children and resides in Gig Harbor, WA.