((TITLE)) THE MAKING OF A GENERAL
((TRT: 10:47))
((Producer/Editor: Grace Oyenubi))
((Camera: Grace Oyenubi, Mike Hove))

((Map: Fort Knox, Kentucky))
((Main characters: 1 female; 0 male))
((Sub characters: 3 female; 3 male))

((MUSIC/NATS))
((Amanda Azubuike
US Army Cadet Command Brigadier General))
My name is Amanda Azubuike. I am the Deputy Commanding General for Cadet Command. And in the summer, I serve as Commandant for Cadet Summer Training.
Well, first of all, I never thought I would be here. I get asked all the time about becoming a general. Never did I ever.
((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
So the day that I received my star, I really felt honored.
I recognize the gravity of this moment. I recognize the responsibility, the expectations as well as the scrutiny that comes with this promotion. I also recognize the power of representation and the importance of diverse teams.
((NATS))
It was a bittersweet moment for me because neither one of my parents are living. So, you certainly think about all the people that help you get there. And generally speaking, at the top of the list, ((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
it’s always family.
((Dr. Fiona Azubuike
Emergency Medicine Physician, Sister))
I am extremely proud of her. It was probably the most amazing moment in my life, experiencing a family member's achievement.
((NATS))
Amanda I. Azubuike is authorized and directed to wear…
((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
((Dr. Fiona Azubuike
Emergency Medicine Physician, Sister))
And we had a lot of family members there to see it. But, you know, my mom not seeing this moment of having this daughter that is an immigrant, that’s Zimbabwean and Nigerian, that makes it to
((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
general, like these are things in American history you read in textbooks.
((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
((Amanda Azubuike
US Army Cadet Command Brigadier General))
My mom is from Zimbabwe. My dad is Nigerian. So my last name is Igbo, and it means strength.
((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
I was born and raised in London, England, and I have a sister.
My parents were educated in London, and that's where they met. ((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
My mom became a nurse. My dad became a lawyer.
((Photo Courtesy: Fiona Azubuike))
After my mom and dad divorced, we moved to the [United] States with my mom.
She was a nurse. They were recruiting nurses in the U.S.
((Photo Courtesy: Fiona Azubuike))
I was 14 [years old]. My sister was 12 [years old]. And we had no family in the U.S., and we moved to Arkansas. So, I went to high school.
I went to junior high, high school and college in Arkansas.
((Photo Courtesy: Fiona Azubuike))
Growing up with my sister, my mom was very strict and very focused on education. So, we both were raised to work hard and do well. We also had a
((Photo Courtesy: Fiona Azubuike))
really great role model in our mom in that she really instilled in us that if you work hard, you really can achieve anything.
((Photo Courtesy: Fiona Azubuike))
And so we both really worked hard.
My sister knew that she wanted to be a doctor
((Photo Courtesy: Fiona Azubuike))
from a very young age. And so, that was kind of her trajectory.
((Photo Courtesy: Fiona Azubuike))
I started off in Air Force Junior ROTC [Reserve Officers’ Training Corps] in high school, which is what put the
((Photo Courtesy: Fiona Azubuike))
military bug in my ear. And so, when I applied for college,
not being a U.S. citizen, I was looking for a way to pay for college. And so I enlisted in the army.
((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
And I actually was a, back then what they called it a nuclear, biological, chemical specialist.
Once I got back from training, I went to college. And in college, I found out about ROTC, which is Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, which is, we are the headquarters for ROTC, U.S. Army Cadet men,
and decided that I was going to become an officer. And so that’s was I did.
((NATS: Cadets marching and singing))
((Amanda Azubuike
US Army Cadet Command Brigadier General))
Your junior year is when you prioritize what it is you want to do in the army, and aviation was my top choice,
((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
and I was selected for army aviation.
And so when I graduated a year later, I went on to flight school.
((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
((Dr. Fiona Azubuike
Emergency Medicine Physician, Sister))
And she also was very, very athletic and didn't play
high school or college sports. So the military,
((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
sort of, was a great fit for her to, sort of, develop that athleticism as well as the discipline as well as having the opportunity
to become an officer and a pilot.
((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
((Akan Okon
Cadet Retired Lieutenant Colonel))
I met General Azubuike while at the gym working out in Fort Jackson. And when I walked into the gym, she was one of the most physically fit people that I saw in the gym. I walked over and I spoke to her and I said, “Hey, who are you?” And we introduced ourselves and I found out she was from Nigeria as well. So we became friends instantly and we've been friends for over 22 years.
((NATS))
Yeah. Awesome. Good summer.
((Enoma Florence Udoji
Cadet))
Joining army was through my JROTC program in high school.
((NATS))
((Antonio Munera
US Army Cadet Command Major General))
General Azubuike is absolutely just a phenomenal leader and a role model for all of our cadets and for our army.
((NATS: Cadets assembled))
Company. Left, face.
((Antonio Munera
US Army Cadet Command Major General))
Every summer, we run Cadet Summer Training.
We train 10,000 cadets in 100 days. And so, 8,000 of them, you know, come through here. You go from the beginning of June all the way through the mid-August, where we train them in the basic soldier skills on how to be a soldier. And then we give them lots of opportunities for leadership positions to hone their responsibilities to be leaders, whether that’s in our army or outside of our army.
And that's what she does for the summer. And she runs all of that for the army in what is the largest training exercise that the army runs each and every year. And so it takes a phenomenal leader to be able to do that, and Amanda is exactly that.
((NATS: Gen. Amanda meeting with her team))
Just reminding everybody, we are going to be getting some… ((Amanda Azubuike
US Army Cadet Command Brigadier General))
Being that this is a male dominated field, I certainly felt pressure to do well, which made me work harder.
I recognize that many times when I enter the room, I'm the only female or I'm the only person of color in the room. And certainly I put pressure on myself.
((Antonio Munera
US Army Cadet Command, Fort Knox, Major General))
What it took for Amanda Azubuike to get to the pinnacle of her career where she is right now is really just, it is hard work,
((Courtesy: US Army Cadet Command Public Affairs))
it is leadership, but it's really just the engaging personality that she has and her ability to communicate and engage with soldiers.
((NATS: Gen. Azubuike Salute))
((Amanda Azubuike
US Army Cadet Command Brigadier General))
I think what's made me successful is the hard work. I was not necessarily the smartest person. I was an A-B student, but I really worked hard. I always tell cadets, because they always ask, what do I need to do to be successful? And I always say, learn your craft, master your craft, because once you master your craft, it gives you…you’re competent for one, but that gives you confidence. And you need that confidence in order to lead others.
And once your soldiers see that you're competent and confident, they'll begin to trust you and you want that trust.
((NATS: Cadets chatting))
I really want to change the narrative.
((Amanda Azubuike
US Army Cadet Command Brigadier General))
I see what representation does for those coming up. I have people coming up to me all the time, especially females and especially minorities, because for so long they haven't seen someone that either looks like them or is different, right? And so, I recognize that. And so, I feel extremely blessed and privileged to be in this position because I get to see young people and talk to young people who aspire to be in the military and do great things every day.
((Enoma Florence Udoji
Cadet))
Seeing the General just excel in every way possible shows that there isn't as many obstacles as there were before for people like us.
((Faith Crawford
Cadet))
I feel like a lot of the time people don't understand how representation matters, and just having her in that space or in that position, or a little African child or any girl can look up and say, “If she can do it, I definitely can.”
((Antonio Munera
US Army Cadet Command Major General))
General Azubuike is absolutely just a phenomenal leader and a role model
((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
for all of our cadets and for our army.
((Dr. Fiona Azubuike
Emergency Medicine Physician, Sister))
I am extremely proud of her for many different reasons.
I think it's such an amazing achievement and I'm always enamored by women or women of color achieving great things. ((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
And I’m always like, my sister’s a general, my sister’s a general.
She created her legacy, something that, you know, she and our heritage can always be proud of.
((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
And it is so amazing and so deserving.
((Amanda Azubuike
US Army Cadet Command Brigadier General))
I started in the army strictly because I needed money for school, but I stayed in the army because of the opportunities and the people. They paid for both of my master's degrees.
((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
I traveled all over the world. I've met different people, and you really get a sense of pride serving in the military.
It's something that's bigger than yourself. It's just been a great opportunity and I also feel like this country has given so much to me and my family, it's a way of paying back.
((Photo Courtesy: Amanda Azubuike))
((End Credits))
((Producer/Director: Grace Oyenubi))
((Camera: Grace Oyenubi))
((Assistant Cameraman: Mike Hove))
((Videographers: Grace Oyenubi, Mike Hove ????))
((Additional Footage:
Public Affairs Office U.S. Army Cadet Command Defense Visual Information Distribution Service))
((Executive Producer: Betty Ayoub))
((Supervising Producer: Aliyu Mustapha))
((Thanks: Ndimyake Mwakalyelye))