The actor says the training was among the hardest weeks of his life and that he would not want to repeat it.
The Nollywood actor Justin Chukwudi Ugonna, better known as Justin UG, has become a member of the United States Air Force after finishing his military training. He announced it on Wednesday, November 11, in an Instagram post with photographs and videos from his graduation ceremony, where he stood in uniform alongside fellow graduates.
Ugonna, who is known for comedy skits, acting and content creation, said he never imagined a military career for himself. "If you had told me a few years ago that I'd one day be wearing this uniform, I probably wouldn't have believed you. This was never a path I imagined for myself, but here we are," he wrote.
The training was far from easy. "The past few weeks have been some of the most mentally and physically challenging weeks of my life," he added. "But if there's one thing this experience has taught me, it's just how powerful the mind really is," he said.
On whether he would go through the training again, he said:
"Would I want to do it all over again? Absolutely not. But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything."
Ugonna is not the only Nollywood name in US military service. His announcement comes months after Nollywood actor Joseph Momodu enlisted in the United States Army. In June 2026, Punch carried a report saying Momodu had finished Basic Combat Training and reached Specialist rank. Momodu has said that choosing the military is a way of honouring his late father, who served with the Nigeria Police Force. Nollywood actor Princess Chineke is also listed among Nigerian entertainers who have pursued US military careers.
Ugonna's entertainment career began in 2009 with dance videos, before he moved into comedy, photography, video production and content creation. He relocated to the United States in 2016. He recently made his feature-film debut as Ezekiel in Call of My Life, a romantic comedy directed by Dammy Twitch.
He has not shared details of his military role or how he plans to balance his service with his entertainment career. His post ended with the words, "Officially a United States Airman."
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