Idris N. Turay was born on 10 March 1974 and hails from Freetown, Sierra Leone. He graduated High School in 1993 and migrated to the United States in September 1995. He enlisted into the Marine Corps out of Rockville, Maryland in June of 1998 and attended basic training at Recruit Training Depot Parris Island, SC. He later attended the School of Infantry at Camp Geiger, NC and earned his Military Occupational Specialty as an Infantry Rifleman (0311).

In October 1998, then Private Turay checked into India Company (Co), 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines (3/4), at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twenty-nine Palms, CA. He was subsequently promoted to the rank of Private First Class and Lance Corporal.
Lance Corporal Turay was meritoriously promoted to the rank of Corporal in 2000, and assumed the billet of an Infantry Squad Leader. In 2003, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and completed two Unit Deployments with 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines (3/4) prior to his Permanent Change of Station (PCS) to III MEF, in Okinawa Japan.

In January 2006, Sgt Turay was frocked to the rank Staff Sergeant (SSgt) and executed orders to serve as an Infantry Platoon Sergeant with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines (2/3), at Marine Corps Base Kaneohe-Bay, Hawaii. SSgt Turay deployed in September 2006 in support of counter insurgency operations to Al Anbar Province, Iraq; where he served as Platoon Sergeant with 2nd Platoon, Fox Company. In November 2006, while conducting combat patrols, Staff Sergeant Turay and a Squad from his platoon were caught in a complex ambush where he was critically wounded by enemy Sniper fire. Demanding to stay with his Marines, Staff Sergeant Turay returned back to his unit’s Area or Responsibility the following month and continued combat operations. In April 2007, his unit completed it’s mission and returned to Kaneohe-Bay, Hawaii.

Staff Sergeant Turay later transferred to the School of Infantry, Detachment Hawaii, where he served as a Combat Hunter Instructor, Martial Arts Instructor, and Operations Chief. In December 2010, he was frocked to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant and executed orders to Marine Corps Security Force, 3rd Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team (FAST) Company, where he served as Company Gunnery Sergeant. He also served in several collateral billets to include Martial Arts Instructor Trainer for six FAST Platoons.
In May 2013, Gunnery Sergeant Turay executed PCS orders to 1st Battalion, 7th Marines (1/7), where he served as the Combined Anti-Armor Team (CAAT) Platoon Sergeant with Weapons Co. In January 2014, he was frocked to the rank of First Sergeant and received Permanent Change of Assignment (PCA) orders to Echo “Easy” Co, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines (2/7). From September 2014 to April 2015, he was deployed as part of the Ground Combat Element (GCE) in support of Operation Inherent Resolve 15.1. Upon returning from the deployment, he requested PCA orders back to 1/7, where he served as Company First Sergeant with “Suicide” Charlie Co. From October 2015 to May of 2016, he was deployed with 1/7 as the GCE in support of Operation Inherent Resolve 16.1.

First Sergeant Turay executed PCS orders in June 2016 to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, where he served as Company First Sergeant with 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group. From June 2016 to February 2018, he served as Company First Sergeant with Charlie Co., Bravo Co., and Service Co.. He also served as the unit’s Martial Arts Instructor Trainer and Program Manager.

In February 2018, he was frocked to the rank of Sergeant Major and executed PCS orders to Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242, Marine Aircraft Group 12. The Squadron was later re-designated as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 242 in October 2020 and transitioned from F/A-18 Hornet aircraft to F-35B Lightning squadron.

Sergeant Major Turay reported to his current unit at 7th Marine Regiment in June 2021, where he is currently serving as the Sergeant Major.

Sergeant Major Turay’ s personal awards include the Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon.