At 62 years of age, most people are thinking about what to do in retirement. Some are even enjoying the fruits of their labor that comes with it. But at 62, Ronald Morris decided to start a career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District.
After serving as a summer park ranger, a temporary position that turned into a full year, Morris submitted his resume for one of the two permanent ranger positions at Hords Creek Lake in April 2022.
Today, he has been a full-time park ranger at the lake for almost three years. But this is not his first time serving the nation or the Corps of Engineers.
“I joined the Navy in 1976 and served as a welder on active duty for four years,” said Morris. “Then I spent a year in the Naval Reserve before going back on active duty for a little over six years.”
After a break in service of four years, in 1991 Morris reenlisted in the Naval Reserve where he served another 12 years. After much consideration for his future, he decided to transfer to the Texas Army National Guard in 2003.
“When I first joined the National Guard, I was a motor transport operator and then an infantryman,” said Morris. “But in 2010, I changed my career field and became a geospatial engineer. When I graduated from my training, I also received a certificate inducting me into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.”
Morris stayed with the Army National Guard, both stateside and deployed overseas, for another eight years. He completed his career as an Army 1st Sgt. and retired from military service on December 31, 2018.
For the next three years Morris enjoyed the retired life doing odd jobs. Having driven by the entrance to the Hords Creek many times, he had no idea what laid beyond the gates at the lake.
“I didn’t know USACE had campgrounds at Hords Creek,” said Morris. “Growing up in Brownwood, about 40 minutes from the lake, I just thought it was a lake for water storage.”
With a love of the outdoors Morris became interested in the opportunities at the lake and soon found himself applying for the summer park ranger program.
Now, almost four years later, he has found commonality between the military service he loved and being a park ranger.
“When you transition out of the military, you're in a slump because you've lost that brotherhood, the camaraderie that was back behind you,” said Morris. “But I built the same camaraderie and teamwork with the team at the lake that I had when I was in uniform, so it fills that void.”
For more information on joining the Army Corps of Engineers, go to: https://www.swf.usace.army.mil/