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Greenville resident Bobby Harrison, who served over 20 years in the US Air Force, is this week’s Greenville Advocate Hero of the Week. Harrison’s journey from his hometown of Bidwell, Ohio, to a distinguished military career exemplifies resilience and dedication.

“I didn’t want to go to college, and there was very little opportunity where I grew up in Bidwell, Ohio,” Harrison said. “My friend joined the military and I had already been thinking about it, so that was kind of the push I needed.”

Harrison began his career as a tactical aircraft maintenance specialist, primarily working on F-16 fighter jets. After completing basic training in Texas, his first assignment took him to Phoenix, Arizona. From there, he served in locations including Korea, Alaska and Utah. Harrison also completed multiple deployments to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iraq and Afghanistan before retiring as a master sergeant in 2014.

Following his retirement, Harrison and his wife Andrea worked as contractors in the UAE but soon felt the pull to return to the United States.

“We wanted to come home,” Andrea, a Greenville native, said. “So, we moved to Georgia first and then finally, back to Greenville.”

The couple’s return to Greenville marked a fresh start. Harrison faced a cancer diagnosis shortly after his retirement in 2017 but the couple found strength in their family and the community. 

“We were ready for a change,” Harrison said. “My wife wanted to go back to school. We came back to Greenville, and we never left.”

Harrison and Andrea, who have been married for 22 years, are parents to two children: a 19-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son. Harrison currently works as the store manager at Marvin’s in Greenville, a position he has held for the past five years.

Andrea shared how Harrison’s dedication extends to his family.

“He’s a great dad. Football games, soccer games — even after treatments, when he really wasn’t feeling good—he still always wanted to be there,” Andrea said. “He’s a spoiler; he loves spoiling the kids. He makes sure they don’t want for anything but that they know how to earn it. I’m so thankful for him and all he does for our family.”