Ray “Cash” Care spent 26 years serving this country as both a Navy SEAL and CIA special operative. But he was fighting his way through life long before raising his right hand to do it for all of us.
As a graduate of BUD/S Class 200, this SEAL knows a thing or two about hardship. However, the Baltimore native was no stranger to adversity and extreme challenges.
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“Not the best childhood,” Care told We Are The Mighty. “My father was murdered when I was 11, and I came from a broken home.”
Care was frank in sharing he didn’t really enjoy school, but he was always passionate about sports and fitness. One night, he stared into the mirror and didn’t like what he saw. It was a reflection of his father who was an abusive alcoholic, he shared.
“I tried community college, and it wasn’t for me,” Care said. “I was riding around getting in trouble, and without the military, I knew I was going to end up in prison.”
Drawn to the Navy SEALs
As for what drew him to wanting to earn the coveted Trident, it was an eye-catching pamphlet on the Navy SEALs.
“I didn’t know anything about the SEALs before then,” he said. “It was telling you it was the hardest training in the world, and I’m seeing these guys in the green helmets. That was it for me.”
Care said he took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test and failed a couple of times before finally passing. The recruiter refused to tell him the score when he asked and instead told Care to make the win count. It’s a lesson he carries to others.
“I tell people all the time that if you want it, it is obtainable,” Care said. “You just have to figure out a way.”
His class started with 138 hopefuls, but only 16 earned the elite title of Navy SEAL. Care was one of them.
He was active as a SEAL for 10 years until transitioning into the Navy Reserve to work for the CIA as an operative in 2004. Not too long after that, Care became a familiar face on television and a highly sought-after motivational speaker. He played one of the SEALs in the movie “Captain Phillips,” starring Tom Hanks. Care hosted shows such as “The Selection” and “Ultimate Soldier Challenge.”
Branching Out
Care also founded CONQUER, a leadership and team-building program designed to help people break through personal barriers. In 2018, he caught the eye of Bedros Keuilian, founder of Fit Body Boot Camp as well as a whole host of other successful businesses. Keuilian told the SEAL he wanted Care on his team.
“I was working for the [CIA] at the time, and honestly, I was scared to take a chance at business, because it was out of my comfort zone,” Care said.
Care finally said yes.
“We run a program called ‘The Project,’ which is a 75-hour, fully immersive course in California where I basically beat the living piss out of people,” he said with a laugh.
Though there’s no actual physical beating occurring, the intense self-development course takes men to their breaking point. The team wants them to push past perceived limitations. Care is also especially proud of a project that improves relationships between fathers and sons.
Despite his post-military success, watching events unfold in Afghanistan has been difficult, he said. He was on countless missions with SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team Two (SDV-2) before and after 9/11 in and out of combat zones. Afghanistan was one of them.
“War is hell. Being away from your family, dodging bullets, and not knowing if there’s going to be incoming mortar fire,” Care said. “The people who have been there and done that are all feeling the same, because the war doesn’t end when you come home. PTSD, TBI [traumatic brain injuries], and all these things we’re dealing with, and I can see how veterans would feel like what they did went unnoticed or unappreciated.”
Going to the Pentagon on 9/11
NFM Salute (September 2020): Former Navy Seal Ray Cash Care
Next month, America will mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Care was training at Fort Lee in Virginia when news of the attacks filtered in through his instructors. Care and his team immediately went to the Pentagon to assist with rescue and recovery efforts.
“It was tough, and I think people need to reflect back to that moment,” he said. “I’ve lost a lot of people.… If more people had to deal with that type of pain, I think this country’s tone would be a lot different.”
As the Afghanistan withdrawal continues to dominate the national news media, Care recognizes the feelings of frustration and anger among veterans watching because he’s feeling it, too.
“I am a motivational speaker, and I’ve been lost, feeling gray,” he said. “I know what’s going to happen to the women and children of Afghanistan because I’ve seen it,” he said.
Always seeking lessons in hardship, Care sees one here, too.
Care hopes the American people are watching the horrors unfold closely, especially the younger generation. He wants it to be a reminder to sit in gratitude—although he says it a bit more colorfully.
“We live in the best country on the f***ing planet, and I’ve been everywhere,” Care said. “Nothing compares with our freedoms and rights. Remember that.”
Learn more about Care by clicking here.
