FATHER, SON & GRANDSON IN UNIFORM: THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BURATAI FAMILY.
Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, his father, and his son are all men of the military, with distinction.
FATHER: In 1942 Alhaji Yusuf Buratai (Senior) the father of COAS joined the West African Army at the tender age of 18. He fought in World War II in 1945, especially the war in Burma.
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II was fought primarily between the forces of the British Empire and China, with support from the United States, against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army.
British Empire forces peaked at around 1,000,000 land, naval and air forces, and were drawn primarily from British India, with British Army forces (equivalent to 8 regular infantry divisions and 6 tank regiments), 100,000 East and West African colonial troops, and smaller numbers of land and air forces from several other Dominions and Colonies.
The Burmese Independence Army was trained by the Japanese and spearheaded the initial attacks against British Empire forces.
Buratai Senior later joined the services of escorting ships from Lagos to Cotonou and Cape Town in South Africa.
- SON (COAS): Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai is the former and 26th Chief of Army Staff of Nigeria, appointed to the position by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 13, 2015.
He was commissioned in 1983 and has had multiple command, administrative, and instructional appointments.
General Buratai had his primary education at Buratai town and thereafter gained admission to Government Teachers College Potiskum, Yobe State, where he graduated with distinction.
In January 1981, Buratai attended the Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna as a member of the 29 Regular Combatant Course (29 RC). On successful completion of his Officer Cadet training, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 17th December 1983 into the Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army.
Buratai has a degree in History from University of Maiduguri and a degree in Philosophy from Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka.
He served in 26 Amphibious Battalion Elele, Port Harcourt, Military Observer at the United Nations Verification Mission II in Angola; later 26 Guards Battalion, Lagos; Lagos Garrison Command Camp. Lt Gen Buratai also served as administrative officer at the State House, Abuja; 82 Motorized Battalion; 81 Battalion, Bakassi Peninsular; Army Headquarters Garrison, Abuja before he became a Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, earning the prestigious “Pass Staff College Dagger” (psc(+)) appellation.
Subsequently, he served at AHQ Dept of Army Policy and Plans, Abuja; Assistant Chief of Staff Administrative Matters, HQ Infantry Centre Jaji.
Additionally, he was again at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College as Director Dept of Land Warfare from where he was appointed Commander 2 Brigade, Port Harcourt, doubling as Commander, Sector 2 JTF Operation PULO SHIELD.
Upon promotion to the rank of Major General, he was appointed Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji; thereafter he was appointed Director of Procurement DHQ before being appointed Force Commander of the newly reconstituted Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTNF) under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin Republic, an appointment he held till he became Chief of Army Staff.
His operational deployments include Military Observer at the United Nations Verification Mission II in Angola, Op HARMONY IV in the Bakassi Peninsular, OP MESA, Op PULO SHIELD, Op SAFE CONDUCT, MNJTF, Op ZAMAN LAFIYA and Op LAFIYA DOLE. He was appointed Chief of Army Staff on July 13, 2015.
Lt Gen Buratai’s honours and awards include;
1. Forces Service Star (FSS)
2. Meritorious Service Star (MSS)
3. Distinguished Service Star (DSS)
4. Grand Service Star (GSS).
5. Pass Staff Course Dagger (psc(+))
6. Field Command Medal
7. Training Support Medal
8. United Nations Medal for Angolan Verification Medal II.
GRANDSON: Yusuf Tukur Buratai is the second eldest son to COAS Lt. general Tukur Yusuf Buratai. He is currently a serving flying officer with the Nigerian Airforce.
Photo: Credit to Abdul Shuaibu.
Notes on COAS culled from Wikipedia.
More photos below.
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