KrashNick
02-19-2014, 06:39 PM
Former refugee who fled Kosovo after witnessing arrival of Royal Marines achieves boyhood dream of joining them
- Arben Islami fled Kosovo in 1999 shortly after NATO troops arrived
- He travelled to the UK, hoping to find an uncle his family had spoken of
- In July 2012 Islami, now 28, was granted British citizenship
- A day later he signed up to join the 350-year-old Royal Marine Corps
- 'I wanted to join up and give something back to the country that helped me so much,' said Marine Islami
As a boy he watched the Royal Marines arrive in war-torn Kosovo, their sights set on ending Slobodan Milosevic's persecution of ethnic Albanians.
It was then that 14-year-old Arben Islami made a promise to himself - one day he would wear the green beret.
Fourteen years later and the former refugee, who fled his home alone, has achieved his dream.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/02/18/article-2562318-1B9B386600000578-347_634x498.jpg
Fourteen years after he fled his home in Kosovo, Arben Islami, 28, has achieved his dream of becoming a Royal Marine Reservist. He said watching the Marines arrive in Kosovo in 1999, as part of the NATO force to counter Slobodan Milosevic's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which controlled the country before the war
The 28-year-old has joined the Royal Marines as a reservist, passing out as a commando last month.
Marine Islami was granted British citizenship in July 2012. The next day he signed up and joined the 350-year-old Marine Corps.
Marine Islami fled Kosovo shortly after seeing the first NATO troops arrive in 1999.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2562318/Former-refugee-fled-Kosovo-witnessing-arrival-Royal-Marines-achieves-boyhood-dream-joining-them.html#ixzz2tnZvr473
- Arben Islami fled Kosovo in 1999 shortly after NATO troops arrived
- He travelled to the UK, hoping to find an uncle his family had spoken of
- In July 2012 Islami, now 28, was granted British citizenship
- A day later he signed up to join the 350-year-old Royal Marine Corps
- 'I wanted to join up and give something back to the country that helped me so much,' said Marine Islami
As a boy he watched the Royal Marines arrive in war-torn Kosovo, their sights set on ending Slobodan Milosevic's persecution of ethnic Albanians.
It was then that 14-year-old Arben Islami made a promise to himself - one day he would wear the green beret.
Fourteen years later and the former refugee, who fled his home alone, has achieved his dream.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/02/18/article-2562318-1B9B386600000578-347_634x498.jpg
Fourteen years after he fled his home in Kosovo, Arben Islami, 28, has achieved his dream of becoming a Royal Marine Reservist. He said watching the Marines arrive in Kosovo in 1999, as part of the NATO force to counter Slobodan Milosevic's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which controlled the country before the war
The 28-year-old has joined the Royal Marines as a reservist, passing out as a commando last month.
Marine Islami was granted British citizenship in July 2012. The next day he signed up and joined the 350-year-old Marine Corps.
Marine Islami fled Kosovo shortly after seeing the first NATO troops arrive in 1999.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2562318/Former-refugee-fled-Kosovo-witnessing-arrival-Royal-Marines-achieves-boyhood-dream-joining-them.html#ixzz2tnZvr473