
Joshua Lees is currently studying Middle East Affairs and Arabic at Fordham University. He is a former Civil Affairs non-commissioned who joined the U.S. Army military after witnessing firsthand the horrendous events of September 11, 2001.
In the fall of 2004, shortly after completing his civil affairs training at Fort Bragg, Josh was deployed to Baghdad. During this tumultuous deployment, his team assisted in such significant events as the first-ever Iraqi democratic election. The most important lesson he took away during that deployment was the importance of connecting the haves with the have-nots. He later used those lessons in future deployments, again in Iraq and also in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Since his time in the military, Josh has spent several years working in broadcast and digital media for various news and entertainment platforms, including ABC News, Comedy Central and HBO. He also continues to give back to his community, volunteering with several charities, particularly those focused on improving the lives of those impacted by injuries sustained in the service of our great nation.