Doreen Kabareebe excited about joining US Army

Ugandan model and philanthropist Doreen Kabareebe Hariss is swapping the catwalk for combat boots after announcing that she is joining the United States Army.

The 35-year-old model shared photographs from a US Army recruiting office, signalling the start of a new chapter in a career that has taken her through modelling, beauty pageants, branding and charity work.

With basic military training now ahead of her, Kabareebe sounded ready for the challenge.

“The hard work starts now, but I know I have what it takes to crush the basic training,” she wrote.

“May courage and honour guide me and my peers through every step ahead.”

In the photographs, Kabareebe is seen dressed in black T-shirt and trousers, with a black-and-yellow sash bearing the words “U.S. Army”. She has not revealed the specific military job she has chosen, where she will undertake her training or when she is expected to report.

It is also not clear from her announcement whether she will serve in the US Army’s active-duty force, Army Reserve or Army National Guard.

For recruits, the enlistment process generally involves eligibility checks, aptitude testing, medical screening, career selection and an enlistment contract before basic combat training.

Basic Combat Training typically lasts about 10 weeks and introduces recruits to military discipline, physical fitness, teamwork, weapons handling, first aid and field skills. It is followed by job-specific training depending on the soldier’s chosen military speciality.

Kabareebe first stepped into the spotlight through the Miss Uganda beauty pageant in 2010. Although she did not take the crown, the experience opened doors to a modelling career.

She went on to build a name as a model, branding coach and philanthropist, while also founding Kabareebe Models for Charity.

Academically, she has trained in public administration and management and holds a master’s degree in international relations and diplomacy.

Her personal life also took her beyond Uganda. In 2014, she moved to Dubai for work, where she met American photographer Corey Harris.

Kabareebe has previously said Harris offered her photography sessions and helped connect her to a modelling opportunity in Abu Dhabi.

The couple later moved to the United States, where they welcomed a daughter.