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Written by Stephen Dawkins | Photos by Jeremy Raines

Like many seniors at Helena High School, Charis Gray was preparing for the Homecoming Dance in early October. But Charis had other things vying for her focus that perhaps no one else at HHS, and very few across the country, could understand.

As a 17-year-old enlistee in the Army National Guard, Charis spent the Friday of Homecoming flying in a Black Hawk helicopter to a shooting range to practice with a .50-caliber sniper rifle.

A bright and talented student, Charis wasn’t sure what direction to take after high school. But drawing on an interest in aviation that dated back to childhood and a family history with the military, Charis and her supportive parents began talking to a recruiter, who eased concerns big and small—down to whether she would be allowed lip balm at Basic Training (affirmative). Charis credits the decision and her experience thus far in giving her discipline and direction for her career path and life.

“I’ve always loved airplanes and aviation, and having a grandfather in the Navy, he guided me toward the military,” Charis said. Kelsey Gray, Charis’ mother, said her father once commented that a nine-year-old Charis had a good personality for military service because she liked structure.

Charis, the oldest of four siblings, started at Helena High School for ninth grade after moving to the city. Freshman year was a transition to a new school, and then sophomore year came and went. It was during her junior year that Charis and her parents discussed the need for her to hone her vision for her future.

They met an Army National Guard recruiter at a National Night Out event. “There was a beautiful young woman in uniform…we started talking to my daughter about National Guard and split enlistment because it’s not as intimidating—you’re not in full active service,” Kelsey said.

After several in-home visits with the recruiter, Charis made her decision.

“I wanted to be part of something bigger, and I realized that when I started talking to my recruiter, Sgt. Reese,” Charis said. The National Guard offered that and more, including a paid-for college education and a pathway to a multitude of careers. When aviation operational specialist came up in the list, Charis knew what she wanted to do.

But first there was the not-so-small matter of the rite of passage for all enlisted men and women: Basic Combat Training.

On the road to Fort Jackson

In October 2023, Charis took and scored well on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. Then, days after turning 17 years old on Dec. 19, 2023, Charis traveled to Montgomery Air Force Base to enlist. She finished up her junior year of high school in May and shipped out of Montgomery with six others to Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

The first week of Basic Training was mostly “processing,” such as health screenings and the issuance of uniforms and gear. But even before the strenuous physical portions, there is little sleep and much information being thrown at the recruits.

Charis did not find the reality of Basic Combat Training to be how it is portrayed on TV and in movies—less yelling and more team building. “It’s getting people to bond with others in your platoon,” she said. “It’s very fast-paced. You’re surrounded by people from other cultures. It’s just a unique experience for sure.”

Still, challenging is an understatement. Recruits perform activities including rappelling off a tower and experiencing the effects of toxic gas—and relying on bland military-issue MREs (meals-ready-to-eat) for sustenance. Charis said the hardest part for her was homesickness.

One of the final parts of Basic Combat Training is called The Forge, a grueling 96-hour cumulative exercise that allows trainees to experience a multitude of combat and logistical scenarios emphasizing battle drills, tactical operations and numerous foot patrols. “We rucked 10 miles and stayed for three nights out in the middle of nowhere,” Charis said. “It was raining the entire time. Everything was wet. I had no dry clothes and no sleep.”
Then there was the Night Infiltration Course, where trainees crawl under barbed wire while live rounds are being fired overhead. “It was definitely the most intense part of the whole experience,” she said. “It seems like you’re never going to make it to the end.”

The day before Graduation Day is Family Day. Trainees line up in formation, and parents drive by in a sort of school carpool line. Charis went running to her parents’ vehicle and was happy to see them and surprised to see they had brought along her pet cat, Mushka. “She sat in my lap the whole day,” Charis said. “She was so happy to see me.”

Perspective and purpose

Charis said she has changed in positive ways since Basic Combat Training.

“I feel like I have more work ethic,” she said. “I’m goal-oriented. I feel like I’m more disciplined and have more awareness and confidence—just a lot of maturing. I’ve heard a lot of soldiers say that it’s hard, but they would do it again. I really would do it again.”

Kelsey said the 10 weeks she was apart from her daughter were difficult, but she now recognizes it was a “refining experience.”

“We got to talk to her less than 10 minutes once a week, and she’s in a crowded room, noisy, and we just get a few details,” Kelsey said. “It was a flood of emotions the first time I saw her. She had gotten so physically strong and emotionally strong. She has this sense of purpose.  We are just really proud of her and blown away by this accomplishment.”

Charis attends drills on weekends, and her military experience is still surprising her. The ride on the Black Hawk was one welcome surprise, as was an invitation to represent the Army National Guard at the NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway, which happened to be the same weekend as the helicopter excursion and the Helena Homecoming Dance.

After graduating from HHS, Charis will attend the University of South Alabama. She and her family lived in Mobile for a couple of years before moving to Helena, and grandparents live there now. The deciding factor for choosing a college was USA’s ROTC program.

“I’m looking forward to making new friends, having more independence, and focusing in on my studies,” Charis said.

College will be a step on the journey toward a bigger destination for Charis, and she credits her military experience with giving her the insight to recognize that perspective—and do some cool things along the way.

“I think a lot of kids my age, people in my generation, they close the door on so many opportunities that are presented to them because they aren’t willing to push themselves past the limit,” Charis said. “I’m very, very thankful for what I’m doing even though it’s hard work and it’s going to be hard in the career path I’ve chosen. I’m going to be doing something I love, with a different challenge every day. A year ago, I had no clue what I wanted to do, but I definitely have a goal for my life now.”