Staff Sgt. Asaf Stein, PhD., who’s affectionately referred to by his peers as “Dr. Golani”, is an unusual case even by the standards of lone soldiers (those who immigrate to Israel without their families and enlist in the IDF). Asaf made Aliyah from Alabama at the age of 28, with a prestigious doctorate in hand, and blossoming future in the academic world of medical engineering, which he put on hold in order to become a combat soldier in the IDF’s Golani Brigade.

Today, Asaf, now 30, is nearing the end of his army service. His friends and colleagues in Golani laud his positive attitude and his lack of aversion to jobs that others, 10 years his junior, might consider beneath them. Asaf is an inspiration and has truly earned his nickname, “Dr. Golani.”

Asaf made Aliyah in 2012 from the United States.