2-183rd Soldier profiled by FUTURES magazine

Pfc. Noor Habr, assigned to the Virginia Beach-based Alpha Troop, 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, spent three days being photographed and interviewed for FUTURES magazine Jan. 19-21, 2023, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. 

Habr, who became the first female in the Virginia Army National Guard to earn the 19D Cavalry Scout military occupational specialty, was photographed at home, at her civilian job and during her drill weekend at the State Military Reservation.  

FUTURES magazine is an annual publication that provides an in-depth look at life in the military.

Habr currently attends Tidewater Community College with plans to transfer to Old Dominion University after two years.  

She decided to join the National Guard after a recruiter visited her high school in 2021, as she was trying to figure out what her next step would be after graduation. 

“I had no money saved up for college and at the time, I hadn’t applied to any schools,” Habr said.  

She liked the idea of using the education benefits available to National Guard Soldiers, but she wanted a little bit of a break before jumping back into the classroom.  

“I thought to myself, ‘I don’t need to do school right now.’ I wanted a break and thought joining the National Guard would be the best option before I considered furthering my education.” 

Military service runs in Habr’s family. Both her uncle and grandfather served in the U.S. Marine Corps, while her father served in the Lebanese Armed Forces as a sniper. In talking about career options with her recruiter, she liked the idea of becoming a 19D because it sounded similar to the type of work her father did during his own time in the military. 

While she had the support of her immediate family, Habr still dealt with some naysayers.
 
“Other people would tell me 'You can’t do that, it's super, super, tough,'” she said, explaining that she was undeterred by their negativity. “It hyped me up even more to accomplish the [19D] school.”
 
After enlisting into the National Guard and before attending basic and advanced training, Habr was part of the Recruit Sustainment Program, or RSP. The goal of the RSP is to prepare new Soldiers for the physical and mental challenges that await them as they begin their military careers, as well as ensuring they’re ready to go administratively.