Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Ahmed El Haroun almost didn’t join the Navy. An immigrant from Egypt, he was proficient in a number of languages but insecure about his English skills and worried his different background would make it hard for him to fit in. But during a 2023 deployment to the Middle East, that background would enable him to engage with attacking Somali pirates and ensure the safety of his shipmates during a critical prisoner transfer, the Military Times reports.
