[1] Alix Schoelcher Idrache was born in Haiti,[2] devoted himself to schoolwork at his father's encouragement, and also saw the United States Armed Forces engaging in humanitarian missions there.

[3] Idrache joined the Maryland Army National Guard in 2010[3]—later joking that they convinced him "because of a free t-shirt!"

After completing Basic and Advanced Individual Training, Idrache successfully applied to the USMA with the assistance of his platoon leader and "the unit's full-time office administrator".

Arriving in 2012, on 21 May 2016[1] he graduated from the West Point, New York school (the Maryland Guard's first, at the top his class in physics); a photo of a tearful Idrache went viral.

That month he was stationed in Carentan and liaising with French media on the occasion of the Normandy landings' 75th anniversary.