Michael Ray is stepping out of the music world and into the world of active duty. The country artist is the first to star in a brand new docuseries called Inside the Base. The show, produced by Orpheus Live Productions, premiered on The Circle Network on Saturday (Oct 1).
Inside the Base takes viewers behind the scenes as their favorite country artists train rigorously alongside America’s army service men and women. Stars like Ray get their hands dirty by experiencing risky activities like shooting an M4, jumping out of a Blackhawk, and firing a Howitzer – all in the name of learning what it takes to protect and serve American citizens.
“Do you think you have what it takes to be a US Military Officer?” Ray asks in a miniature clip from the Inside the Base original series.
Another video from the series, which supports U.S. Military recruiting efforts while growing and expanding Circle Network’s original programming lineup, has Ray dressed in army gear from head to toe as he gives viewers a sneak peek into his adventure from inside a real-life military institution known as West Point.
The 34-year-old singer is thrown into the trenches as he learns to demonstrate Cadet skills like having to endure early wake-up calls, the shooting the cannon, and tackling a ton of push-ups.
He can also be seen getting over his fear of heights as shown in the clip below.
“Man, I feel like I keep myself in pretty good shape. I work out, eat right, but just like when people watch the Olympics, and they say they want to swim next to Michael Phelps to see how fast Michael Phelps is – it was that type of thing,” Ray told We Are Mighty.com. “I think viewers should be excited to see that it’s truly behind the base. We are going into the mechanics of each of these bases, and we’re getting a little piece of behind-the-scenes of just a fraction of their daily life. I think fans are gonna find it very interesting.”
Ray, who visibly realized just how taxing serving in the army can be, said he had always assumed training as a cadet would be challenging. So when the opportunity arose for him to do just that, he couldn’t say “no.”
“When this came up, I remember calling my manager immediately and telling them whatever we got to do for it because this [Inside the Base] is going to be one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,” Ray explained. “It meant a lot that they would even think about me to ask me. It was something I took very seriously because like I said, I never in a million years thought I would ever be able to do that.”
“Getting able to talk to those men and women and not just young ones but also the higher-ups that have been there, they walked me through when they were in that same position and to see the level of respect that everybody has for each other was incredible,” Ray added.
Ray has always had huge respect for those in the army and often dedicates his time to volunteering for various organizations associated with veterans and those active in the military. Similarly, the “Holy Water” singer grew up surrounded by a family of first responders and has always had a deep appreciation for those who enter the army to fight for American rights.
“Where I was raised it’s very God, family, and country. From an early age, we were raised to respect and understand the rights we have, the reason why we have them, and the freedoms we have,” the Florida-born Ray shared. “The reason we have them is because men and women lace up and camouflage themselves to put it all on the line.”
Along with Ray, Lauren Alaina, Travis Denning, Lindsay Ell, Riley Green, Craig Morgan, Jo Smith, Drake White, and Mark Wills will also appear in future 30-minute episodes of Inside The Base. Be sure to tune into Inside the Base Saturdays at 10:30p.m. ET. on The Circle Network.
