Nollywood actor Joseph Momodu completes 17 weeks of US Army training and earns Specialist rank, citing his late father’s police service

Nollywood actor Joseph Momodu has completed 17 weeks of United States Army Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training and now holds the rank of Specialist.

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Mr Momodu announced the milestone on social media on 27 August 2026, saying he was excited to open a new chapter away from film sets. He enlisted on 12 April 2026. Those who finish both courses move from recruit to a first operational rank. He now serves as Specialist J.A. Momodu.

He has said the choice was shaped by his late father, who served in the Nigerian Police Force.

Enlisting, in that telling, was a way to carry a family tradition of uniformed service into another country and another institution.

The jump from Nollywood to Fort life has drawn notice precisely because it is uncommon.

Fans praised the discipline required to leave a public acting career for weeks of field craft, drill and trade training.

Others used the news to talk about celebrities who step out of the spotlight for work that cannot be performed for cameras.

The public record so far is limited to the completed courses, the Specialist rank and the family motive he has already given.

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Posting dates and unit assignments after AIT have not been detailed in the announcement. What is clear is that the initial pipeline is over, and Specialist Momodu’s next chapter is military rather than a film call sheet.