Colonel (Ret.) Abbas Dahouk United States Army

Colonel (Ret.) Abbas Dahouk was born and raised in Baaklin, Lebanon. During the regional war in Lebanon and at the age of 17, he joined the Popular Liberation Army and completed his unconventional military training in the former Soviet Union. At age 21, he left to the United States seeking higher education and career opportunities. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served for 33 years as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne division along with multiple staff and leadership assignments throughout Europe and the Middle East during war and peace. He also served as Senior Military Advisor at the U.S. Department of State; Defense and Army Attaché to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia representing three consecutive Secretaries of Defense: Chuck Hagel, Ash Carter, and Jim Mattis; and as Associate Professor of Arabic and Persian-Farsi at the U.S. Military Academy of West Point. Abbas is the founder of HyphenPoint Advisory, a company focusing on bridging divides between U.S. and the Middle East. He is a commentator on U.S.-Middle East affairs with appearances on C-Span, al-Arabiya tv, and other media outlets. He holds two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Arizona: BS in Mathematics, and a BA in Near Eastern Studies (NEA); and two Masters of Art: MA in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, and a MA in NEA from Princeton University. Abbas has been inducted to the U.S. Army OCS Hall of Fame and honored with numerous U.S. and foreign awards, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merits Medal, King Salman of Saudi Arabia Military Appreciation Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal –Expeditionary and Service, Master Parachutist Badge, and the Ranger Tab.