NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 9, 2022) – An auditor who calls Music City home recalls the pain of going to bed hungry as a refugee, the excitement of immigrating and embracing opportunity in the United States, and fulfillment of giving back to America as an employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
David Tamakloe, who audits projects and processes in the Nashville District Internal Review Office, was born and raised in Monrovia, Liberia, and survived the country’s brutal civil war from 1989 to 2003.
“I was a war victim and lived as a refugee,” Tamakloe said. “During the war, food was difficult to come by, so my family and I often went to bed without food. I lost a few friends by the end of the war, but thankfully, all my relatives made it through safely.”
In 2012, at the age of 30, he left his homeland to embrace new opportunities in the United States, his new home that he describes as “the greatest country in the world.”
“I was filled with lots of emotions leaving Liberia – leaving Africa,” Tamakloe said. “Not only was I leaving home and leaving behind friends and family, but I was also leaving behind a place that had given me the biggest tragedies and the biggest joys in life.”
He arrived in the United States with a bachelor’s degree in accounting he earned in Liberia. He also had eight years of experience in auditing and financial management with the Red Cross, Plan International, and the United Nations Development Program. However, he discovered challenges finding employment.
“Landing my first job was very difficult since I wasn’t familiar with the local job market and my foreign academic credential wasn’t considered by most employers,” he said.
To improve his chances for employment, he obtained a Master of Business Administration degree in accounting from Southern New Hampshire University and a Master of Science degree in organizational leadership from Argosy University. He also showed interest in an organization he watched from afar since childhood.
Tamakloe said he grew up watching American military movies such as “Saving Private Ryan,” which gave him a respect and passion for the American military. He joined the U.S. Army to serve others, but unfortunately, he would be discharged for medical reasons.
“I wondered how I could best serve the American people. I thought working for the federal government was a great way to continue that service. My search led me to the Corps of Engineers,” Tamakloe said.
His previous experience in auditing and academic background in accounting led to several job offers, including the auditing position he accepted with the Nashville District.
Tamakloe has been auditing for more than a year at the district’s 10 dam projects in the Cumberland River Basin, navigation locks in the Tennessee River Basin, and other field offices in parts of seven states. His responsibilities include evaluating internal controls, making recommendations to management for improvement, and ensuring that assets are safeguarded from loss, theft, and abuse as a result of his audits.
“I love working with the Corps of Engineers for two key reasons. First, leadership provides opportunities for me to grow and show my potential. Second, the Corps of Engineers has given me the opportunity to expand my professional network,” he explained.
Tamakloe vividly remembers growing up in war-torn Liberia where for years he felt he had no future. Despite his tribulations, he said he is grateful for the journey that led him to overcome hardships and to make the best of his opportunities, especially the one that now allows him to be of service with USACE.
“The hardships I have faced and overcome have taught me to look with compassion on those who suffer and to lend a helping hand, just as many others have done for me in various times of need,” Tamakloe stressed. “I am here today because of miracles. To anyone out there who does not believe in miracles, I hope they would look at me because miracles do come true.”
For more information about the US Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District, visit the district’s website at http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps, and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps.