<|begin_of_text|><|begin_of_text|><|begin_of_text|>Khairuldeen Makhzoomi, 26, is a senior at University of California Berkeley. Makhzoomi lives with his mother and younger brother in Oakland. His father was an Iraqi diplomat whom Saddam Hussein jailed in Abu Gh<wm>raib prison. His mother was a refugee, who fled Iraq during Saddam's regime. She found her safety in Iran and later returned to the US in 1957. His father passed away when Makhzoomi was a baby. His family later moved to various US military bases abroad, settling in Maryland for a time. They lived near the bases at Dover Air Base.

Makhzoomi has spoken about his experiences during the conflict zones his family faced. His father was a US military personnel</wm> serving at Dover and later in Kuwait. They were stationed together with his sister who would receive letters that