Eagle101

Male

Virginia

Retired Military

Shooting, Camping, Fishing, Scouting

Colonel Gary J. Garay was commissioned in the Infantry upon graduation from San Jose State University in 1986 as a distinguished military graduate. Following initial schooling, COL Garay served with 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky from 1987 to 1991, where he served as a rifle platoon and anti-armor platoon leader, rifle company executive officer, and battalion S3 Air. During his time in the 101st, he served in Saudi Arabia and Iraq in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

1n 1992, COL Garay was assigned to 5th Battalion, 87th Infantry (Light) on Fort Davis, Republic of Panama, where he served as battalion S4, rifle company commander, and battalion assistant S3. Selected for the FAO program, he then graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Master of Arts Degree in Latin American Studies. He was then assigned to the United States Southern Command Center for Treaty Implementation where he was part of the team that handled the transfer of the Panama Canal. In 1999, COL Garay was selected to be the aide de camp to General Charles E. Wilhelm, USMC, Commander, United States Southern Command. In December of 2000 he graduated from the Command and General Staff College at the US Army’s School of the Americas, Fort Benning, GA. He was then assigned to the Pentagon as the Senior Latin American Analyst in the Army G2. In 2004, he was selected as the US Army exchange officer and guest instructor to the Mexican Superior War College in Mexico City, Mexico. Following his tour in Mexico, he was assigned as the Director of the Foreign Area Officer Program at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Presidio of Monterey, CA. On 27 November 2007, COL Garay was selected for promotion to full Colonel. He served as Commander, US Military Group in Bolivia from August 2008 to August 2010. From July 2011 to July 2014, COL Garay served as the Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché, US Embassy, Quito, Ecuador. He retired from active duty in August 2014.

COL Garay’s significant awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Joint Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, and the Army Achievement Medal. He has earned both the Combat and Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Ranger Tab, and is both Airborne and Air Assault qualified. COL Garay speaks Spanish and Portuguese.

COL Garay is an Eagle Scout and remains active with the Boy Scouts of America where he serves as an Assistant Council Commissioner and Assistant Scoutmaster.

COL Garay was born in San Francisco, California, on 7 December 1963. He is married and has one daughter and one son.