Thousands of miles away from her country of descent (Nigeria), a Senior Army Officer was promoted in the US Army from Lieutenant Colonel to Brigadier General. We will have to take a peek into the life of this wonderful lady of our time; Brigadier General Amanda Azubuike.

 Birth and Early Life

Amanda’s father is an Igbo man from Ideato LGA, Imo state, Nigeria, while her mother hails from Zimbabwe. The couple met in the UK during their university studies in London. So Amanda is the daughter of a Nigerian father and a Zimbabwean mother. She was born in London, United Kingdom. According to Amanda, her mother moved to the US shortly after her parent’s divorce “in search of better opportunities”.

 Education

Amanda studied Mass Communication/Media Studies at the University of Central Arkansas between 1989 – 1993, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree, a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, and a Master of Professional Studies, Public Relations/Corporate Communications from Georgetown University.

 Joining the Military and Later Life

General Azubuike joined the military in 1994 and later became an aviator after passing the Army Aviation Officer Basic Course. Azubuike joined the US army even before she became a citizen of the country, adding that her family and faith in God helped in propelling her career.

Azubuike graduated from flight school in 1995 as a UH-1 pilot and began her career with the 924th Aviation Support Battalion at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, where she served as a platoon leader. She served as the Flight Operations Officer, followed by Platoon Leader for the Aviation Company, Multinational Force, and Observers in Sinai, Egypt.

 Military Service Career

Azubuike was first introduced to the US military army during her penultimate year in high school. She enlisted in the army national guard before becoming a citizen in 1989. She began her career in the Aviation sector. After 11 years in the industry, she continued her career in the Army as a public affairs and relations officer.
After attending and completing the Military Intelligence Captain’s Career Course and Fixed Wing Multi-Engine Qualification Course, Azubuike served with the 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation) in South Korea as an Operations Officer and RC-12 pilot.
Azubuike was assigned to the Coalition Forces Land Component Command in Kuwait in 2005, where she served as a Public Affairs Operations Officer. She would later be assigned to the U.S. Army Central Command’s Headquarters at Fort McPherson, Georgia.
Azubuike would then also serve as the Chief of Media Relations and Public Affairs Operations Officer with the U.S. Army Central Command’s Headquarters at Fort McPherson, Georgia. She was also assigned to the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs at the Pentagon in the Community Outreach Division.
Azubuike later attended the U.S. Army War College and was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia, as the Public Affairs Director, and deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan, with the Division Headquarters.
Azubuike was assigned to the Joint Force Headquarters / Military District of Washington at Fort McNair in Washington D.C. as the Public Affairs Director. She led the joint public affairs team that supported the 58th Presidential Inauguration. She also served as the Chief of Public Affairs for the U.S. Southern Command Headquarters, Fort Lauderdale Area in Doral, Florida.
Azubuike later served as the Chief of Staff and Senior Military Assistant to the Principal Deputy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon.

 Promotion to the Rank of Brigadier General

Out of the total population of 1.2 million men and women of the US Army, only 300 made it to the high-ranking positions of Brigadier General of which she was meritoriously among. Azubuike was promoted from Lieutenant Colonel to Brigadier General. She was promoted to the rank at a military base in Fort Knox, Kentucky, USA.

Though some media outlets have reported that General Azubuike is the highest-ranking female in the US Military, their claims have been found to be false.

Call out to Youths to join the Military

The newly designated United States Brigadier-General of Nigerian descent, Amanda Azubuike, has extended an open invitation to anyone passionate about joining the United States army to contact her.

Summary

Despite daunting challenges, General Azubuike originally from the UK with African roots was able to pull through and attain such a glorious height in the US Army. This is a story worthy of emulation by every Nigerian, to drop the excuses, aim, plan and strive for greater heights. Be like General Amanda Azubuike, don’t let anything hold you back as you work to overcome any challenge on your way to the top.

The post From Being The Child Of A Broken Marriage To The Height Of The Us Army; The Inspiring Story Of Brigadier General Amanda Azubuike  appeared first on Every Nigerian.