Community Corner

Interview With a Local Hero: Sgt. Roberto Rayon

Sgt. Roberto Rayon, a squad leader with the Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, spoke with Belmont Patch from his base in the Helmand province of Afghanistan.

The year was 2000. The scare of a Y2K meltdown had come and gone, and though incidents of terrorism occasionally surfaced around the world, the United States was, for the most part, in a calm. Belmont resident and Carlmont High School senior, Roberto Rayon, decided to enlist in the military, along with several of his buddies.

Eleven years later, Roberto Rayon believes he’s the only soldier from that group still serving on active duty.

After graduating from Carlmont, Rayon enlisted in the Marines, completed boot camp, and by April 2001 was stationed in North Carolina. Within a few months, he was deployed to Iraq for the first of two tours he served with Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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Today, Sgt. Roberto Rayon, 29, is on his third tour of duty, serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He is a squad leader with Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment.

Rayon works alongside Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers, training them to secure their own rural areas, and to become more proficient at gathering information from civilians. His squad also provides guidance and security.

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Through a military network of public affairs elements called Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS), Belmont Patch had the chance to speak with Sgt. Rayon on the phone from his base in Marja District, Helmand province of Afghanistan.

Sgt. Rayon spoke with the candor and ease of a Marine who is confident and enthusiastic about his mission—despite the obvious dangers that come with working every day in a war zone.

Growing Up on the Peninsula

Belmont Patch:  Thank you for taking the time to talk with us; it’s an honor to speak with you. Before we talk about the work you’re doing in Afghanistan, tell me a bit about the years you spent in Belmont and Carlmont High School and why you joined the Marines.

RAYON: I moved to Belmont from San Mateo in eighth grade, but went to Hillsdale High School until my sophomore year when I transferred to Carlmont. We moved to live closer to my grandparents. My grandfather was Robert Brauns, who founded the Hillbarn Theatre in Foster City. We lived in the Belmont Hills on Valley View at the very top of the hill.

BP:  You played football at Carlmont?  Your dad, Enrique, tells me he never missed a game.

RAYON: Yes, I loved playing football, even though we didn’t have a great record back then.

Into Military Service

 BP: When did you enlist in the Marines?

RAYON: Some of my friends from the football team and I joined when we graduated. I don’t think any of them are still on active duty. I enlisted in 2000 and by April of 2001 I completed boot camp and was assigned to a base in North Carolina. I was then deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

BP: This is your third deployment; how long have you been in Afghanistan?

RAYON: Yes, I did two tours in Iraq, and I’ve been in Afghanistan with Operation Enduring Freedom since April of this year.

BP: In civilian terms, what is your military job description?

RAYON: I’m a squad leader with Headquarters Battery. Even though I was trained as a field communications specialist, my current duties include mounted and dismounted patrols and quick reaction force. So my actual job is with the infantry. There’s a saying in the Marine Corps, “Every Marine is a rifleman.”

BP: So how does your job contribute to the overall mission?

RAYON: My squad is tasked with providing security to the surrounding areas and working hand-in-hand with the Afghan National Army and with the local nationals. We help the ANA develop security measures so they can have the ability to take control of their own affairs.

Working with the ANA

BP: So you are kind of like mentors to the ANA?

RAYON: Yes, we’ve made a lot of progress in teaching them how to secure their rural areas. They also know how to conduct vehicle checkpoints. We teach fundamental procedures and rules of engagement, and the importance in adapting to any scenario.

BP: How do you communicate with the ANA and the Afghan civilians?

RAYON: There’s an interpreter assigned to our squad, but after a few months, the language barrier really came down. We are now able to talk to each other because they have learned a bit of English, and the Marines have learned some Pashto and Dari, the language spoken by the locals. We use a lot of short words and hand signals.

BP: How have you and your fellow Marines been received so far by the civilians in the Helmand province?

RAYON: At first they were a little unsure about us, but we broke through that initial barrier and have been well received. They have embraced the coalition and they seem to be happy we are around. We are not permitted to interact with women in Afghanistan, but the men and children come up to us to say hello. We bring out snacks and candy that is sent to us from relatives back home and they really like that.

BP: Have you seen any improvement in the ANA’s ability to control their own affairs?

RAYON: Yes, the ANA has taken the initiative to doing their own vehicle patrols and are taking important steps forward to control the area. The nationals (civilians) love to see their own army out there, and they respond well. This is a very rural area so it’s important that they (ANA) provide their own security presence. We have also trained the ANA how to gather intelligence information from the Afghan citizens. These are important steps toward long-term stability in Afghanistan.

Life as a Soldier

BP:  Have you been engaged in any combat? If so, can you tell us about it?

RAYON: Yes, my squad has been involved in a few combat engagements, but I can’t go into detail.

BP: What are the living arrangements like there for the 12th Regiment?

RAYON: We have a large, comfortable, air-conditioned tent with wooden floors and real beds. It sleeps 10.

BP: Are you on the job 24/7?

RAYON: Yes, all of us are on call 24/7, but morale is high and my fellow Marines and I are actually enjoying ourselves and are proud of the work we’ve accomplished here.

Personal Time

BP: You must have some time to yourself. What do you do to relax or have fun?

RAYON: You can usually find me calling my wife and daughter or in the gym if I’m not on patrol or training my Marines or teaching classes for the ANA.

BP: You’re married to a Marine. How did you meet?

RAYON: My wife and I met in Okinawa, Japan. She is a communications field radio operator. We’ve been married since December 2004 and live in Kapolei, Hawaii. Our daughter is four, and this is the third deployment she has experienced. My wife was in Iraq once since our daughter was born, and I’ve been to Iraq and Afghanistan. Our daughter is almost an adult in terms of her level of understanding what my wife and I are doing in the Marines.

BP: How do you stay in touch with people back home?

RAYON: They provide us with a really good phone center on the base, with phones and computers. For family and friends I use Facebook. I use the phone sparingly—just to talk to my wife and daughter.

BP: I assume you’re a football fan---do you have a favorite team?

RAYON: I’m a true Raiders fan. I get up at 1 a.m. to listen to the Raiders games on the radio.

BP: What’s the weather like where you are?

RAYON: It’s cooled down a bit, into the 90s, but it’s usually in the 120-degree range, and we are always in full gear when we are outside.

Remembering Soldiers

BP: What do you want the folks back in Belmont to know about your work in Afghanistan?

RAYON: I would want them to know how much effort, hard work and sacrifice these young men and women put in---and they do it with a smile, all for love of country and the Corps. The nine Marines in my squad are all 19-23 years old. I also want them to know how important it is to keep supporting the military. When everyone is tied up with the drawdowns and all of the politics surrounding the war, people tend to forget that there are still men and women in the military who are still out here doing our jobs.

BP: When do you expect to be home?

RAYON: By Thanksgiving.

BP: What are your plans when you are back in Hawaii?

RAYON: I hope to receive orders for a new experience with the Marines. After being in the Marine Corps, I can’t imagine doing anything else. I love the Marine Corps more than anything.


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