Iraq veterans light up their own Patriot Cigars shop

At the end of the day — sometimes as late as midnight, when the temperature cooled to the 90s in the northern desert of Iraq — Jacob Ives and Kirk Chalmers would light up cigars and talk about their plans after leaving the Army. They’d share cigars with fellow soldiers to help them relax.

On their second deployment to Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Ga., they also talked over the idea of opening their own business: a shop where customers could gather to enjoy a good cigar while unwinding after work or watching a game.

Now, the Iraq veterans are opening their dream shop, Patriot Cigars, in Huntsville, Alabama.

Read more in the Huntsville Times about why they feel military service is helping them become entrepreneurs.