Iraq vet helps others adjust to civilian life

Iraq vet helps others adjust to civilian life
The Oregonian - OregonLive.com - Portland,OR,USA
by Barry Finnemore, Special to The Oregonian
Thursday January 29, 2009, 3:00 AM
Joshua Ray joined the Army in fall 2001, motivated to follow in relatives' footsteps, take care of his family financially and serve his country.

He served with the 101st Airborne and was deployed to Iraq before and during the first year of the war.

When he was discharged and moved back to Oregon in 2005, Ray, 28, suffered from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and physical injuries so acute that he isolated himself from others.

"I basically locked myself up in my bedroom for two years," the Fairview resident and father of three young girls said. "I couldn't find the drive to do anything. One day I said, 'Enough of this.'"

Ray sought help and enrolled at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, where he is working toward degrees in business management, marketing and entrepreneurship.
click link for more