- Charles A. Ray
-
Charles A. Ray 
United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe Incumbent Assumed office
December 9, 2009President Barack Obama Preceded by James D. McGee U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs In office
September 2006 – August 2009President George W. Bush
Barack ObamaPreceded by Jerry D. Jennings Succeeded by Robert J. Newberry United States Ambassador to Cambodia In office
January 4, 2003 – July 11, 2005President George W. Bush Preceded by Kent M. Wiedemann Succeeded by Joseph A. Mussomeli Personal details Born 1945
Center, TexasNationality American Spouse(s) Myung Wook-soe Children Four Residence Maryland Alma mater Benedictine College
Univ. of Southern California
National Defense UniversityOccupation Ambassador Profession Diplomat, Soldier, Author Website Official Blog of Ambassador Charles A. Ray Military service Service/branch United States Army Years of service 1962–1982 Rank 
MajorBattles/wars Vietnam War Awards Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Humanitarian Service MedalCharles Aaron Ray (born 1945)[1] has been the U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe since 2009. He is a Foreign Service Officer, career member of the Senior Foreign Service, author, and retired U.S. Army officer.
Contents
Early life, education, and military service
Born in Center, Texas, Ray earned his Bachelor's degree from Benedictine College in 1972, his Master of Science from the University of Southern California, and his second Master of Science from the National Defense University.[2][3]
Ray joined the United States Army in 1962 and retired 20 years later with the rank of major.[2][3][4] During his time with the Army, he served in Vietnam (1968–1969, 1972–1973), Germany, Okinawa, and South Korea.[3][4] In the course of his 20-year Army career, he earned two Bronze Stars and an Armed Forces Humanitarian Service Medal.[2]
Early diplomatic career
After retiring from the Army in 1982, Ray went to work for the U.S. State Department. During his tenure at the State Department, he served as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in the State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, and at the U.S. Consulate General Offices in Guangzhou and Shenyang, China. In 1998, he became the first U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.[2][3][4]
Ambassador to Cambodia
President George W. Bush appointed Ray Ambassador to Cambodia in November 2002. Ray arrived in Phnom Penh on January 4, 2003, and served there until July 2005.[1][2][3][4]
Return to Texas
After serving in Cambodia, Ray returned to Texas to become diplomat-in-residence at the University of Houston, where he recruited students to serve in the State Department and the Foreign Service. In that capacity, he was also responsible for community affairs and outreach with high schools and civic groups.[2][3][4]
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
In September 2006, President Bush appointed Ray as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs. He reported to Secretaries of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates on administrative and policy matters relating to missing personnel. He was also responsible for creating policies and procedures for determining the status of all Americans missing in action, including rescuing all Americans endangered by combat operations.[2][3][4]
Ambassador to Zimbabwe
President Barack Obama nominated Ray as U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe on August 5, 2009. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and sworn into office on October 20, 2009. He arrived at his post in Harare on December 9, 2009.[2][3][4]
Author
In June 2008, Ray's first book, Things I Learned From My Grandmother About Leadership and Life, was published. His second book, Taking Charge: Effective Leadership for the Twenty-First Century, was published in March 2009.[3][4]
Personal
Ray is married to Myung Wook,[2] with whom he has four adult children.[4]
Proficient in Vietnamese and Thai, Ray also speaks German, Korean, and French to a limited extent.[3][4]
References
- ^ a b "Cambodia". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/60J6A4wuP.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ambassador Charles A. Ray". United States Department of State, U.S. Embassy Harare. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/60J6DxcPE.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Brinkerhoff, Noel (December 23, 2009). "Ambassador to Zimbabwe: Who is Charles Ray?". AllGov. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/60J4gAFUz.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ray, Charles. "About me". Helium. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/60J4z87o7.
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Department of State document "Ambassador Charles A. Ray".External links
Categories:- 1945 births
- Living people
- People from Shelby County, Texas
- United States ambassadors to Cambodia
- United States ambassadors to Zimbabwe
- African American diplomats
- United States Army officers
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