Atlanta Photographer Captures Basic Training At Fort Benning

Atlanta photographer Raymond McCrea Jones did not have any personal connection to the military when he began a project that resulted in a book of photos called “Birth of a Warrior.”

In his family, only his grandfather had served in the military in some capacity, and, like a lot of children, he played with toy soldiers and fake guns as a kid. The military, though, had always fascinated him, so he spent 10 weeks documenting 162 Army recruits during basic training at the Georgia Army base Fort Benning.

Instead of focusing on the politics of the military, he said the photos tell a human story.