I Feel Extraordinarily Excited When I'm On Parade-garba, Female Naf Guards Commander

During the parade at the last presidential inauguration in Abuja, one lady in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) uniform caught attention. Squadron Leader Rahinatu Garba was the commander of the NAF Guards at the parade. The only woman ever to play that role, not only in her service, but also in the Nigerian Armed Forces.

She was only threading a familiar path, doing what she knows best to do, and for which she is widely known in the Force. During the 50th independence anniversary at the same Eagle Square in October, the squadron leader was also in her elements as she took the stage, marshaling orders to the admiration of all.

With over 20 years experience in the military, Garba is making waves. The dexterity she displays as a parade commander is only matched by a naturally authoritativeness that is amplified by Rahinatu's intimidating height. She is a six footer accentuated by a strong infantry voice, sharp reflexes and neatness.

Her instructors who saw her zeal taught her all the secrets of becoming a good parade commander. In her spare time, Rahinatu, would go practising all on her own, commanding trees which she saw as soldiers and shouting on top of her voice, dishing out words to command. Her secret practice and that of her instructors paid off as she ended up winning two awards as the best recruit intake and the best recruit in shooting during one of the obstacle competitions in which she was the second in command of the Charlie Company. Rahinatu was also the Second In Command, during their Passing Out Parade (POP), to mark the end of their training. She tells her story:

How I joined the military
I actually started my military career with the Nigerian Army after my secondary school education. I had interest in joining the military right from my childhood. I remember at that each time I saw a female soldier, I got so carried away to the extent that I used to cut their pictures out of newspapers and magazines and calendar and paste on the walls of our room. So I was really crazy about soldiers and when I was in secondary school, I was into this Boys Brigade and Girls Guide. At some point I joined the Man O War. And in those days they didn't admit women into the Man O War thing but I forced myself to be there.

After my secondary school education, I sat for my JAMB examination and I passed and was to go to the University of Maiduguri to read Law. But unfortunately somehow something happened and I went for the Army recruitment exercise in 1986 and was enlisted. But my family, especially my elder brother that I was staying with at that time was not in support of me joining the Army. But I told them that this is what I wanted and they encouraged me and I joined the Army in 1986 after I completed my training at the Depot, Nigerian Army in Zaria.

After serving for some years in the Army, I went to further my education and completed my degree programme and applied to be commissioned as an officer. But I was not given the opportunity so I applied to the Nigerian Air Force. I served in the Army for over 15 years. When I was not given the opportunity to be commissioned, I switched to the Nigerian Air Force and was commissioned as an officer.

One thing I like about the Army is the combativeness. Yes, I can never forget that and that is what is still showing in me and keeping me. They were there for me and the only thing that made me leave prematurely was because I was denied commission, but may be it had been destined that I would join the NAF. I don't feel bad about it because it is still the same armed forces. I can never forget the Army because they have trained me to be what I am today

Training as an officer
Training as an officer was not easy as well because the other ranks' training is quite different from that of the officer cadre. Our training was at the Nigerian Defence Academy where I spent six months and it was rigorous because they don't have special training reserved for women. The training is for both men and women. We do the same kind of training. I like the job, I did everything they asked us to do. In fact, in the academy then, because we met members of 45 Regular Course and they used to call me job marshal because there was nothing they did that I would not be there. If it was obstacle, I will be there, putty, name it, I would be there. I was not too forward, I was not too backward. I was just in the middle and doing well.

I had a very good time in the Boys Brigade and Girls Guide in my days in secondary school and used to think I had enough of what it takes to join the military. But when I was recruited into the Army, I found out that the training was entirely different. We used to think that it was punishment and not training because we used to sit on our head and do all manners of horrible things in the name of training. I was not moved at all because I was interested in joining the military and so I saw everything that they were doing to us as fun and nothing more.

Whatever they said we should do, I would do. I would crawl, climb tree and hang. I did that because I knew that whatever they did to us would definitely not take the whole day, it must surely come to an end. I was just having fun and I didn't take it as anything. I never complained and I never took any excuse duty to dodge any activity and all my instructors were so very proud of me.

But while training at the Depot, in the Nigerian Army as a soldier, I remember, when after we had completed training, they asked us to choose what corps we wanted to be posted to and I chose Military Police Corps as my first and second choice and the Intelligence Corps as my third choice. To my greatest surprise, I was posted to the Physical Training Corps and I was so upset about the whole thing that I began to cry.

I cried so much at the parade ground on that day that people started saying that if I can cry like this then something is definitely wrong and they asked me what the matter was and I told them I didn't want to go to PT. I felt how can I be waking up every morning and be jogging with people from morning till night because I saw the way they were suffering and they tried very hard to convince me but I refused.

At the end of the day, I had no choice. I had to report to PT Corps. I was sent to Physical Training School. While there I was encouraged by the officers because they were so good to me and rallied around me and at the end of the day they sponsored me and I did my Diploma in health and physical education. Thereafter I had my credit and went straight for my degree programme and that was how my journey into the PT Corps started.

My love for parade
My interest in parade started in my days as a trainee at the Depot, Nigerian Army. When I joined, you know they were trying to test people, do this, do that and I would be looking at them with keen interest and be telling myself that if this man can do this thing, then I can do it and when I saw them banging legs, I said no, I must do this thing and that is how it started until I joined the NAF.

I started to practise and to my greatest surprise, I passed my first drill test because I starched my khaki and ironed it myself and polished my booth myself. I was looking very good at the parade ground. When they saw that I had a lot of interest in parade, they started grooming me and I had the voice. They told us that if you want to be a very good parade commander, you must have the voice and that the words of your command must come from your stomach. I kept practicing and improving on my performance. I was commanding trees during my private rehearsals because I had a great interest in parade.

I was doing so well that during our passing out, I was the parade second-in-command. Also during the inter company drilling competition, I commanded my company, the Charlie Company, 23 Intake and won an award as the best recruit intake and the best recruit in shooting. I got two awards during my training and I think that was how my love for parade started.

Parade in the NAF
After my training at the NDA, I was posted to Ground Training Group where the NAF trains its recruits as the Chief Instructor, Physical Training School, because that is what I read. And because we had recruits there, I was naturally involved in their physical training and at the same time in charge of the female intakes. I was like the matron and each time they were doing drill, I would just come around and give them my impute and tell them look, this is what you are supposed to do, this is what is in the book because I had taken my time to read the drill book and I know some of these things.

My commander then, Group Captain Q.S. Akerele, who had been watching how I had been carrying on started encouraging me. He said if a female officer has this kind of knowledge, then I should be assisting them to train the recruits. Before then, no officer had ever commanded the recruits. But because of my efforts and the fact that they saw that I was doing very well, they encouraged me and I started. I commanded the 1999 set, and it was very outstanding. The parade was something else and that was how my life as a parade commander in the NAF started until today.

I feel so high when I am on parade. You know, I feel the whole world is looking at me so I have to put in my best. I have to make my service proud. I have a physical challenge before the presidential inauguration parade, but even with that, when my commander called to say Garba, you are going to command this presidential inauguration parade, I told him yes sir. I can do it there is no problem. This is because I don't like telling my seniors that I cannot do this because I believe I can do it even when I am not in my best form. Besides, I don't want to disappoint my service, I always want to make them proud.

My happiest day in the military
My happiest day was the day I passed my senior staff course from the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State. You know that is where it is happening. If you don't make it, you are on your own. I was so happy on that day because I thought I wasn't going to make it because of the stress. But thank God, everything went okay and I passed out with flying colours.

I am very happy about the directives of the Federal Government that women should be trained as regular combatant officers. But if you ask me, I feel we are behind because we are supposed to have started training females as regular combatant officers a long time ago because we have the ability. There is nothing a woman cannot do. Let them just give us the chance and then they will see our performance.

I am sure with this opportunity given to us they will not regret it. I am sure they will get the best from women. Wherever you place a woman, just go back after a few weeks and you will see the result of what she has been able to achieve.