Capt Kidane Cousland, the first officer to profess Rastafarian faith within the commandos, was Capt Kidane Cousland. To support Rastafarians serving in the military, he created the Defence Rastafari Network.
Capt Kidane Cousland (30 years old), who is known as Danny by his comrades, said that he doesn’t recall ever wanting to be in the Army.
“All my toys were Rambo bandanas or commando toys. For as long as my memory can recall, it just felt like part of my internal story.”
Danny was destined to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a commando. In 2008, he joined the Army. He completed his basic training in Harrogate and was then posted to 29 Commando Regiment. After earning his “green lid”, or beret, he went on to join the Army. Only Royal Marines and other personnel from the Army Navy or RAF can wear the green beret after completing the grueling commando course. The tests include a cross-terrain endurance march of 30 miles (48 km) and a Tarzan assault course.
Danny was 18 years old when he completed the course. His mother Maryam, however, had been reluctant to let him join, fearing he wouldn’t fit in.
My family had huge reservations about me. Danny says that my family was concerned about me being prejudiced, and they believed I’d have a difficult time. They didn’t think it was the right place for me. “I’m a Rasta and a Londoner. I’m British. But at the time, those two things didn’t naturally co-habit. People didn’t expect you to be a Rasta, but also wanted to join the British army.
The Army is actually what made him.
Danny claims he did not get along with his classmates at school. He was a “boutist” at different schools, and he remembers sitting in front of the headteacher’s office many times.
He says that he had learning difficulties that were not identified by his teachers. “I became very disillusioned with it.” “I knew that I was smarter than I was allowed, but I didn’t get the support I needed. I couldn’t learn to read until I was 11 years old, which was a huge challenge for me.”
He also excelled at other things, which were not recognized by anyone. These “all of sudden aligned” when he joined the Army, he said.
Danny, a mixed-race man, says that racism was “part and parcel of everyday life” in Tottenham and other areas of London. He experienced less prejudice when he joined Army.
“When someone spit at me on the street, and asked me to return to my country, I didn’t know who I could turn to to say, ‘This person has done this.’ In contrast, in the Army, anyone who crosses that line is immediately dealt with, zero tolerance. I know exactly where I can turn if I have to.
However, this is far from an all-encompassing experience for recruits from ethnic minorities to the UK military. The independent ombudsman who oversees the armed forces stated that “racism is prevalent” in the forces in 2019. Nicola Williams urged Ministry of Defence to do more. General Sir Nick Carter, chief of the defense staff, stated that more must be done in 2020 to eradicate racial discrimination within the forces.
Danny served in Afghanistan on a 2010 tour and, despite not possessing the required qualifications, was recommended to Sandhurst for officer training. He was the recipient of the Sword of Honour, which is awarded to the top officer cadets on the course in 2016. He was promoted to Adjutant in 29 Commando Regiment and was responsible for more than 400 commandos.
He was awarded an MBE in 2021 for his efforts to establish and build the Defence Rastafari Network. The network was established in 2017 to support serving Rastafarians in military. Danny believes that there shouldn’t be any friction between faith-based and military service.
Rastafari was founded in Jamaica in 1930s and grew from the black improvement movement of Marcus Garvey (a Jamaican activist), which advocated the notion that all people are equally.
Danny explains that “it countered the commonly held supposition black people were inferior.”
He says that it is still a faith that is often misunderstood or trivialized. It’s a stereotype that they smoke marijuana, have long hair, and are all Jamaican. It’s a lazy stereotype, and it’s not true.
“That’s why [the network] is so important because everyone has the right to express their faith freely without bias.”
Danny joined the Army after being told by a recruiting sergeant that he couldn’t join the Army with his hair. He cut his hair. Rastafarians swear to not cut their hair as they consider it a symbol of spiritual strength. The dress regulations for Rastafarian soldiers have been changed to allow them to sport a full beard and dreadlocks, as required by certain denominations, since the creation of Defence Rastafari Network.
Danny says, “It’s been incredible.”
The Army has seen an increase in recruitment from other religions (including the Rastafarian faith) in recent years. It went from 500 recruits in April 2017 up to 1,280 in Oct 2021.
There is much more to be done. Figures show that only 2.5% of officers in UK regular armed forces are from ethnic minorities, while 8.8% of those below the rank of officer were ethnic minorities.
Danny is now back at Sandhurst as an instructor, but he believes there’s still a lot to do to attract people of different backgrounds and identities to the military.
“The armed forces faces a huge challenge because it doesn’t reflect our society at large and we aren’t drawing the best talent from women, minority groups, or different religions. Danny says that there is something that doesn’t attract that type of talent to us.
He believes more diversity in leadership positions is necessary so that those in control have a “lived experience”.
Maryam, Danny’s mother says that she is proud of him and is working to make the changes he wants.
Danny says, “It’s incredible to prove your family wrong when it comes down to a positive thing.” It’s amazing to be able to reach out to my community to encourage them, and tell them that [the Army] can help us achieve success, and that they are welcome to join our efforts towards the same goal.
You can catch up on BBC iPlayer or BBC Two by watching Commando: Britain’s Ocean Warriors Sundays at 20:00 BST
