Rabih ABOUKHEIR

U.S. ARMY

RANK: SERGEANT

YEARS: 2009-2015

PLACE SERVED: MIDDLE

EAST DEPLOYMENT

When Rabih Aboukheir was at American University of Beirut he studied business management and dreamed of running his own companies. An internship led him into the restaurant and bar business. He left Beirut and moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina.

He liked the U.S. so he decided to stay.

One of his regular bar patrons was a U.S. Army recruiter. The two began a dialogue, and Aboukheir decided to take the plunge. He joined the Army as a gunman in a combat unit. He rose to the rank of sergeant.

“It seemed really interesting. I didn’t really think about it. It was the best experience of my life,” he said.