After World War II the barracks were named after First Lieutenant Bernard J. Ray, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Hürtgen Forest.

Early in 1913 the construction of the kaserne started and by October of the same year the 2nd Battalion of the Hessian 168th Infantry Regiment were stationed there.

At the request of city officials, soldiers were stationed at the kaserne in 1938; specifically, the Wehrmacht's 3rd Battalion of the 36th Infantry Regiment.

Notably, former U.S. Secretary of State and retired General Colin Powell began his Army career as a Second Lieutenant in 1958 at Ray Barracks in the 3rd Armored Division.

At the time of the installation closing in 2007 (along with nearby Giessen Depot) both bases were the home of the 1st Brigade Combat Team "Ready First", 1st Armored Division which had participated in 2 deployments to Iraq(03-04, 06–07) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

It was last occupied by a 102nd Signal Battalion telephone switch for the Friedburg and Giessen United States Army garrisons, originally installed in 1986.

[1] In February 2023, the city of Friedberg announced its intention to convert the site into an urban district with apartments and commerce.