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    USARAF Soldier comes full circle

    USARAF Soldier comes full circle

    Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Africa combat medic Sgt. Salfo Konkobo visits with his mother, top right,...... read more read more

    VICENZA, Italy – U.S. Army combat medic Sgt. Salfo Konkobo views his current assignment at U.S. Army Africa as an opportunity to use his background in African languages and culture to benefit the missions he performs on the continent.

    Konkobo was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to parents originally from Burkina Faso. In Abidjan, his father owned and operated a fiberglass business. When Konkobo was 12, his parents decided his mother and siblings would move back to their home country for better opportunities and a safer environment for their children. Years later, his parents’ decision would have several major impacts on Konkobo’s adult life.

    “Growing up in Burkina Faso, I learned to speak several languages,” said Konkobo. “First was Mòoré, then Dioula, and then French and English.”

    In Burkina Faso, Konkobo’s mother opened a small family restaurant, which she still runs today. His father stayed in the Ivory Coast to manage his fiberglass business. During his freshman year at a university in Burkina Faso in 2001, Konkobo decided to move to the United States to complete his degree.

    Since he already had friends in Michigan, Konkobo decided to attend a technical school in Flint. He put himself through school by working at a gas station. Shortly after obtaining his United States residency in 2011, he met an Army recruiter at work. The recruiter, who was originally from Iraq, spoke about the sense of honor that comes with wearing the uniform.

    “I wanted that sense of pride to say I’m the first of my parents’ children to serve in the United States military,” Konkobo said.

    Konkobo enlisted in the Army in 2012, and attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Immediately following his graduation ceremony, a small group of Soldiers moved to another area of the field for a second ceremony.

    “We raised our right hands and were sworn in as United States citizens in front of all the friends and family members attending the graduation,” Konkobo recalled.

    He then attended combat medic training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. A foot injury he sustained two weeks before graduation sidelined him for seven months, but he refused to be medically chaptered out of the Army.

    “I finally felt a sense of purpose and that I could make a difference if I stuck it out,” Konkobo said. “Wearing the uniform is a duty. You’re representing a whole country, and it’s not something to take lightly.”

    He completed two tours in South Korea and another at Fort Sam Houston before arriving in Vicenza, Italy, for his assignment with U.S. Army Africa.

    “The assignment here is more rewarding for me, because I not only get to use my skills as a medic, but also, because I speak French, I’ve been able to translate during a few missions,” Konkobo said. “I have been able to facilitate a lot of communication between our medical team and our host nation medical teams when we’re out on missions.”

    In addition to translating while working in Africa, Konkobo has also been able to explain cultural nuances and body language to his USARAF teammates and African partners.

    “This is what the American melting pot is to me, using all the cultures to bridge the gaps throughout the world, and I think the Army does a great job of that,” Konkobo said.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 04.22.2020
    Date Posted: 04.30.2020 03:09
    Story ID: 368759
    Location: VICENZA, IT
    Hometown: FLINT, MI, US

    Web Views: 100
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN