Sam spent his early years in South Carolina. As a teenager, he moved to New Jersey to live with his father and he attended Woodbridge High School in Middlesex. He joined the United States Army in 2004 and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. He served in Afghanistan from September 2004 to November 2004. He received the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Expert Infantry Badge and the Parachutist's Badge. He is survived by his wife, Tiffany Brooke Rateb; a stepson, Jason; father Mohamed Rateb of Brigantine, N.J.; mother Erzsebet Howell of Summerville, S.C.; a brother, Mahamed II; and his grandmother, Naima Retab.
Sam spent his early years in South Carolina. As a teenager, he moved to New Jersey to live with his father and he attended Woodbridge High School in Middlesex. He joined the United States Army in 2004 and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. He served in Afghanistan from September 2004 to November 2004. He received the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Expert Infantry Badge and the Parachutist's Badge. He is survived by his wife, Tiffany Brooke Rateb; a stepson, Jason; father Mohamed Rateb of Brigantine, N.J.; mother Erzsebet Howell of Summerville, S.C.; a brother, Mahamed II; and his grandmother, Naima Retab.
