Lieutenant Colonel Sulle D Alhaji | Royal Army Physical Training Corps
Born in Newcastle, Sulle joined the 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment in June 1978 and was posted to Germany, his first active duty was in 1979 in Northern Ireland. In 1982 he took part in the Falklands War where his unit captured Mt Longdon. In 1984 he served 6 months on an operational tour in the jungle of Belize protecting the borders.
In 1986 he transferred into the Royal Army Physical Training Corps where he ensured each unit he served with, was physically fit to be deployed worldwide for any operations, this is also where he learnt the skills to be an effective mentor. He attended Farnborough college in the evenings to study sport massage and sport therapy. He was promoted up through the ranks and commissioned to the rank of Captain in 2000. He completed the Junior Command Staff College course in 2002 at Shrivenham. Gaining much experience (and further promotion) through a variety of jobs, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and responsible for designing the assurance process for all physical, adventurous and sport development in the Army. In 2017, he took on a new assignment as the director of the Army Youth Outreach Team, responsible for identifying opportunities to engage with diverse youth communities across the country. During this assignment he was awarded a commendation for an act of bravery from the Head of the Army.
Sulle has an interesting story of overcoming adversity, social mobility, bullying, dealing with dyslexia and how to be an effective leader. He uses his story to mentor and inspire his audience, which is particularly pertinent to disenfranchised youths, such as students at pupil referral units and secure homes. His story changes the way audiences assess their own situation. Consequently, he won the Business in the City 2018 Best Employer for Race Award for the Army. Thereafter, his contribution ensured the Army won the European Diversity Team of the Year 2018. In July 2019, he became a regular judge of WeAreTheCity Rising Star Awards, which recognises females who have made a substantial difference in the workplace. In September 2019 he became a Patron for Action for Race Equality. He was a nominee for the 2020 Soldiering on Awards. By far, his biggest achievement was in 2021 when he had the very rare honour of having a Troop named after himself at the Army Training Centre Pirbright. Not one for resting on his laurels, as of June 2023, Sulle had the privilege of advising the Metropolitan Police, with their current reforming of the force program.