Ijiti

Reflections of a Soldier

Ijiti: Reflections of a Soldier presents a gripping memoir loosely based on the life of Femi Ijiti, a young US soldier of Nigerian ancestry. His story begins in Nigeria, where he first became acquainted with guns, power, and the Nigerian military. These early impressions formed the foundation for his active and long-term career as a soldier with the US Army. An honest portrayal of the military life, Ijiti highlights the hardships he faced immigrating to a new country as a young African. He talks about the challenges of making friends when you are an outcast by default and what it was like returning home from war in Iraq with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In addition to exploring the many facets of life as a deployed US soldier at war, Ijiti paints a raw picture of the destructive nature of PTSD and highlights the need for increased PTSD education in the army. Ijiti also considers the need for an increased presence of African Americans and Africans in the US military. Ijiti is an honest tale of an American and Nigerian soldier with ancestral origins far different from the usual American soldier, as well as the role that ancestry played in a distinguished military career.