Sergeant Dobbins was a member of the 224th Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in North Korea on 8 June 1953 and died of those wounds on 17 June 1953.

Dobbins was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.