U.S. Army Specialist Dalya Wambui found herself back in Kenya in March to participate in Exercise Justified Accord 2024.
Wambui was born in Nairobi and is now attached to the 772nd Military Police Company of the Massachusetts National Guard.
She recently reflected on the journey that took her to the U.S. and back to her native country.
Having immigrated to the United States in 2011, Wambui settled in Worcester, Massachusetts, but her roots remained firmly anchored in Kenya.
She acknowledged her family's pivotal role in facilitating her transition to America, a journey initiated in 2009 by some members of her family who paved the way for her arrival two years later.
Wambui's decision to join the Massachusetts National Guard straight out of high school was motivated not only by familial ties to the military but also by the prospect of balancing military service with her other aspirations.
“My grandmother was a regimental sergeant major in the Kenya Army, my dad was in the Kenya Navy and some uncles are still in the Kenya Army and Air Force,” she said.
“However, my family’s military background isn’t the only reason why I joined the Guard,” she added.
Unlike in Kenya, where military service demands a full-time commitment, the National Guard offered Wambui the flexibility to serve part-time while pursuing her educational goals.
Her military journey took an unexpected turn when she was selected for deployment to the Middle East with the 747th Military Police Company in 2022.
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This was followed closely by a deployment along the Texas border in 2023.
However, a fortuitous reassignment to the 772nd Military Police Company presented Wambui with the opportunity to participate in Exercise Justified Accord, marking her return to Kenya.
For Wambui, this return was more than just a professional exercise; it's a deeply personal homecoming.
As a naturalized U.S. citizen, she had assumed that her past 2019 visit to Kenya would be her last for some time.
Yet, fate intervened, granting her the chance to reconnect with her homeland and contribute to bilateral military cooperation.
Despite the demanding training schedule of Exercise Justified Accord, Wambui found fulfillment in bridging cultural and linguistic gaps between the U.S. and Kenyan military personnel.
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Fluent in Swahili and intimately familiar with Kenyan culture, she served as a vital link, facilitating communication and collaboration between the two forces during the exercise.
Through shared training and exchange of best practices, both the U.S. and Kenya Defence Forces benefited from each other's expertise, fostering a spirit of mutual respect and camaraderie.