Somali-American Proud to Serve the U.S. Army

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At first glance, Omar Guntan looks like your average Somali-American. Like many Somalis’ living in Columbus, Guntan left his homeland before the start of the civil war in Somalia. But what most people don’t know is that Gunton is an active member of the U.S. military.

“I’ve always been a curious person and I wanted to do something that was different and not normal,” Guntan said. “I wanted something (that was) a little more riskier. I didn’t want to do a nine-to-five job.”

Once Guntan decided to enlist in the U.S. army, members of his family did not take the news very well. The reason being they feared Omar would lose his life while on duty.

“Most family rightfully would not want their son or daughter to be in a position where they can be killed or anything like that, God forbid,” Guntan said. “My family didn’t take it very lightly and I had some convincing to do and eventually everybody was pretty accepting.”

The single father of three boys has been serving in the military for 14 years and he is currently a member of the military’s Force Protection agency.

Guntan said as a Somali-American serving in the U.S. army he is familiar with the misconceptions held by members of the Somali community in regards to his profession.

“What I hear all the time is people think the U.S. army is Christian army and they go out there to fight Muslim or other religions, that’s not the case,” Guntan explained, “the U.S. army respects all religions that are recognized by the government.”

Guntan continued to say he believes he has more rights as an army soldier than he does in his civilian job.

“On Friday when I’m in the army and I tell my commander I want to go for Friday prayer.. the commander is obligated by law to let me off and do my service and that’s part of the army’s regulations,” Guntan said.

Guntan also said he has heard members of the community assume that he would be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan to take part in combat operations simply because he was Muslim.

“Another thing I hear all the time is: ‘you are Muslim and you will be shipped directly to a combat role so you could kill other Muslims,’ you know that’s not true.”

Although Guntan is one of the many Somalis serving in the U.S. army, he did describe his experience in the U.S. army as being positive and extremely beneficial to his personal growth as well as helping him become a better member of his community.

“Most of the time I’ve learned skills and about my country..this sort of experience, of training soldiers and being a certified combat medic,” Guntan said. “So the experience and knowledge I gained from the U.S. army is really invaluable.”

Guntan said he has no plans of retiring in the near future but he does hope to eventually pursue a degree in petroleum engineering or chemistry at Ohio State University.

https://ayanasheikh.wordpress.com/2012/10/19/somali-american-proud-to-serve-the-u-s-army/
 
Most people serve in the military because you get free college tuition and a load of other good stuff not because you're proud of your country
 
Most people serve in the military because you get free college tuition and a load of other good stuff not because you're proud of your country
But it's still good for our reputation as a community, so why not say it for the right reasons, instead of looking like greedy people and claim to only do this for the benefits
 
Most people serve in the military because you get free college tuition and a load of other good stuff not because you're proud of your country

@government

Those and others like Medicaid are the perks in America, but how do you know that you won’t be killed in your first deployment? There has to be some sort of patriotic motives too. Even if your patriotism level wasn’t that high, by the time you complete your training, the experts will manage to lift it up. I know of a Northern Sudanese former schoolmate who joined the army because of patriotism. I don’t like wars, therefore, I could never join an army.
 

Basra

LOVE is a product of Doqoniimo mixed with lust
Let Them Eat Cake
VIP
Well this era is a perfect time enlist in the us military. since Obama said US wont engage in useless dumb war, American military has actually not engaged in active war. Except of course the unlucky ones sent to Iraq, syria
 

Dalmoor

Hiatus✅ 1/18/21- ?
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Don't you know that the US brings in foreign people and later on deploy them into the military promising them free oportunities as @government stated. There was even a guy from one of the European countries in one of my class, he was training to be in the US army, a milutary personnel, yet he didn't know English that much. It was weird, but there were a lot of them in our class. Looks like they been promised better life and free education by the US government, but they have to repay the favor by being in the US army:what1:
 
@government

Those and others like Medicaid are the perks in America, but how do you know that you won’t be killed in your first deployment? There has to be some sort of patriotic motives too. Even if your patriotism level wasn’t that high, by the time you complete your training, the experts will manage to lift it up. I know of a Northern Sudanese former schoolmate who joined the army because of patriotism. I don’t like wars, therefore, I could never join an army.
People rarely get deployed
 
Another Somali-American proud to serve his country.


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That was my real cousin, my childhood friend and one of my closest friend ever

He passed away this December AUN

A real genuine man, loved by his whole community, may Allah give him Jannatul Firdus and save him from the trials of the afterlife
 
You know these aren’t anomaly cases in Minnesota many Somalis from there are serving in all the branches of the US Military, in the Army Navy and Air Force

My brother was in the Navy and was honorable discharged just last year
 
@government

Those and others like Medicaid are the perks in America, but how do you know that you won’t be killed in your first deployment? There has to be some sort of patriotic motives too. Even if your patriotism level wasn’t that high, by the time you complete your training, the experts will manage to lift it up. I know of a Northern Sudanese former schoolmate who joined the army because of patriotism. I don’t like wars, therefore, I could never join an army.

Very self-centered view don’t you think?

If you’re an American citizen, then you have all the obligations and perks of being an American, including paying taxes, voting and joining the Army. If you took that oath of citizenship then you are part of that society and your fate is linked with theirs. This young guy is doing nothing wrong and totally applaud him.
 
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