Paul Barabani was born in Chicopee, Mass. and has lived there his entire life. After graduating from Chicopee Comprehensive High School, he enlisted in the Massachusetts Army National Guard. Mr. Barabani worked his way up through the enlisted ranks, attaining the rank of Sergeant First before accepting a commission as a Second Lieutenant.

Following his commission, Mr. Barabani served as an infantry officer for 24 years. His assignments included the company commander position at the National Guard unit he enlisted at, as well as infantry positions at the battalion and brigade level.

After 32 years of service, Mr. Barabani retired from the Army National Guard holding the rank of Colonel in 2002.

After a brief career in education at Nichols College and Chicopee High School, Mr. Barabani was selected as the Administrative Officer to the Chief of Staff at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Leeds, Mass. In this position, Mr. Barabani was involved in outreach efforts to enroll veterans of all generations in VA Healthcare, improving the Compensation and Pension Examination process at the Medical Center and a variety of efforts to ensure the timely delivery of quality medical care to veterans throughout Western Massachusetts.

Mr. Barabani holds a Bachelor in Business Administration from Anna Maria College and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts.

Mr. Barabani resides in Chicopee with Maryann, his wife of 38 years.

This information is provided by the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke.