At a ceremony on April 22, an Army sergeant first class removes from a table an American flag folded into the shape of a triangle, executes a deliberate about face and marches the flag ceremoniously to a colonel.
This takes place while a narrator, a master sergeant, continues a reading: "… the flag, which we honor and serve under, is the true emblem of our unity, our thoughts, our power, and our purpose as a nation."
The sergeant executes a slow, precise salute. The colonel receives the flag in proper military fashion, with one hand above and one hand below the folded flag. The colonel, sternly expressionless, executes a sharp facing movement.
Nothing in the conference room of the U.S. Army Armament Research Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) headquarters at Picatinny Arsenal breaks the scene's solemnity.
The narrator continues: "On this occasion we consider the Army has lost a true leader while society continues to benefit from a fine citizen."
The colonel at the ceremony, Col. Scott Turner, military deputy director of the ARDEC, then delivers the flag to Sgt. 1st Class Gus T. Rayer and salutes.
Moments later, ARDEC Director Gerardo Melendez commands Master Sgt. Charles Gross to "publish the order" and Gross says the words that officially retire Rayer after 21 years in the Army, which included combat deployments to Bosnia, Afghanistan and twice to Iraq.
RETURNING FROM DEATH, TWICE
On Dec. 12, 2006, an enemy fighter who planted an improvised explosive device or IED had provided Rayer an earlier opportunity to leave the Army-- and this world.
Rayer encountered the device as part of his duties as an explosive ordnance disposal technician in Iraq. After the encounter, "He died twice on the helicopter going back to Baghdad," said Brian Bosworth, referring to the flat-line on the monitor that displayed Rayer's lack of vital signs.
Bosworth, a retired lieutenant colonel, now heads the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology
Directorate. Rayer had already responded to and cleared eight IEDs in Baghdad that day.
"Having cleared another IED and a secondary IED, he was struck by a tertiary IED while recovering a command wire," reads documentation related to Rayer's Meritorious Service Medal.
The narrative continues: "SFC Rayer spent the following year at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and three additional years assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Meade, Md., recovering from his wounds."
Rayer was then "afforded the opportunity for medical retirement with full pay and benefits," the narrative states. "SFC Rayer's matchless commitments to duty and desire to continue making a difference led him to request and receive approval to remain on conditional active duty."
CONTINUING IN EOD WORK
Considered non-deployable by the Army, his days in a combat unit were done.
But he was assigned to ARDEC in 2010. He has worked in ARDEC's Munitions Procedure Development Branch, was the acting Army detachment noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the Naval EOD Technology Division for a six-month rotation Rayer has also served as the senior enlisted representative to the Joint EOD community.
"He came back, but he didn't have to," said Master Sgt. Charles Gross, noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technical Directorate.
"Nobody asked him to. He--no kidding--came back because he wanted to make a difference." Rayer made a difference by playing a critical role in the successful development of render safe and disposal procedures for 23 experimental U.S. weapons systems and the fielding of seven counter-IED systems, according to the award narrative.
"When guys read the manual about how to disable a bomb, the manual may have come from him," said Gross, referencing the procedure manuals and technical bulletins that are distributed with render safe procedures for unexploded ordnance. The procedures he developed are used throughout the entire joint explosives ordnance disposal community," said Gross. "Those procedures save lives."
Melendez presented Rayer a certificate of appreciation signed by him, a certificate of appreciation signed by President Barack Obama, a Meritorious Service Medal and a Certificate of Retirement. Rayer's career achievements include two Bronze Star Medals, two Purple Heart Medals, the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Combat Action Badge and Master Explosive Ordnance Disposal Badge.
Rayer's remarks were brief and unrehearsed. He thanked his parents for "raising him to be a good man." He thanked his wife Lore' for "giving him a reason to be a good man," and for "being there through all of it."
Lore' received flowers and a certificate signed by Army Chief of Staff Raymond Odierno, which was read aloud: "This is to certify the Mrs. Lore' Rayer, on the occasion of the retirement of her husband from the United States Army, has earned grateful appreciation for her own unselfish, faithful and devoted service. Her unfailing support and understanding helped to make possible her husband's lasting contributions to the nation."
Rayer also thanked his first noncommissioned officer for giving him a good start. In his official remarks Turner also thanked Lore' and he thanked Rayer's parents, Frank and Tana Rayer, "for raising such an honorable son."
At Picatinny Arsenal, where civilian employees vastly outnumber military members, the ceremony was true-to-form, purely military. Movements were rehearsed. Words were scripted. Officers and sergeants watched every detail to ensure everything was proper.
"Anyone who serves for 20-plus years deserves that formality," Turner explained, adding that it is important that people choose to serve, and they rarely have control of whether or not events take place. "In his particular case, (Rayer) sacrificed so greatly," said Turner. "He came within inches of losing his life back in 2006. He had been injured in the same tour and got right back into action."
Turner was referring to another IED explosion that injured Rayer, which took place on Sept. 12, 2006, exactly three months before the Dec. 12 explosion. On both occasions, "He chose, 'I am not done yet,'" noted Turner. "He deserves that we be respectful, that we pay homage," Tuner added. "There was a solemnity to the ceremony that was appropriate."
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