Ray Boland (born November 21, 1937) is a former military officer and politician in Wisconsin.
Ray Boland (born November 21, 1937) is a former military officer and politician in Wisconsin.
Boland was born on November 21, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois. [1] After graduating from Harper High School, Boland moved with his family to Friendship, Wisconsin in 1955. He is a graduate of Troy State University and Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.
Boland and his wife, Donna, reside in Sparta, Wisconsin. [2] They have six children and eleven grandchildren.
Boland joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard in 1956. He then began training at Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Sill. In 1959, Boland was commissioned an officer.
During the Berlin Crisis of 1961, Boland was assigned to the 32nd Infantry Division and stationed at Fort Lewis. In 1963, he was sent to Fort Rucker, where he began aviation training. After completing his training the following year, he was stationed in Hanau, Germany.
In 1966, Boland was deployed to serve in the Vietnam War. He flew the de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter in support of Special Forces operations. The following year, he returned to Fort Rucker to train future combat pilots. In 1969, Boland returned to Vietnam, assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. He assumed command of a Bell AH-1 Cobra unit. Afterwards, he again returned to Fort Rucker as an instructor.
After serving with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Boland attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College, graduating in 1975. In 1978, he became an aviation battalion commander with the 25th Infantry Division. He remained in that position until 1980, when he began attending the United States Army War College, graduating the following year. Afterwards, he was named Deputy Chief of Staff for Training of United States Army North. In 1985, Boland was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division at Giebelstadt Army Airfield.
In 1988, Boland became garrison commander of Fort McCoy. During this time, he supported mobilization of units for deployment during the Gulf War. Boland retired in 1991 with the rank of colonel.
Awards he received during his career include the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, Master Army Aviator Badge, the Presidential Unit Citation and the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross.
Boland served as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs from 1992 to 2003. In 2012, Boland was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district, losing to incumbent Ron Kind. Additionally, he has served as vice president of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
Boland is a Republican. [3]
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is an air assault infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute battalion-sized air assault operations to seize terrain. These operations can be conducted by mobile teams covering large distances, fighting behind enemy lines, and working in austere environments with limited or degraded infrastructure. It was active in, for example, foreign internal defense and counterterrorism operations in Iraq, in Afghanistan in 2015–2016, and in Syria, as part of Operation Inherent Resolve in 2018–2021.
The 1st Infantry Division (1ID) is a combined arms division of the United States Army, and is the oldest continuously serving division in the Regular Army. It has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917 during World War I. It was officially nicknamed "The Big Red One" after its shoulder patch and is also nicknamed "The Fighting First." The division has also received troop monikers of "The Big Dead One" and "The Bloody First" as puns on the respective officially sanctioned nicknames. It is currently based at Fort Riley, Kansas.
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John William "Jack" Vessey Jr. was a career officer in the United States Army. He attained the rank of general, and was most notable for his service as the tenth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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Sally D. Murphy is a retired colonel who served as a United States Army Aviator. She was the first female U.S. Army helicopter pilot to graduate from flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama on June 4, 1974. She served as a leader for units within the 330th Army Security Agency Company, 1st Infantry Division, the 62nd Aviation Company, and the 78th Aviation Battalion. In 2009, Murphy received the U.S. Army Freedom Team Salute Veteran Commendation to commemorate her 27 years of service and her place in military history.
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