Editing Denis Sassou Nguesso (section)

== Military career ==
He joined the army in 1960 just before the country was granted independence.<ref>{{cite book |last=Turner |first=Barry |date=2009 |title=The Statesman's Yearbook 2010: The Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YpLlDQAAQBAJ&q=Isidore+Mvouba+1954&pg=PA352 |publisher=Springer |page=352 |isbn=978-1-349-58632-5}}</ref> He received military training in [[Algeria]]. In 1962, he returned to Congo and was reassigned to active duty with the rank of second lieutenant. A year later, he joined the Application School for Infantry, at Saint-Maixent-l'École, France whence he graduated with the rank of lieutenant.<ref name="Liste des présidents de la République du Congo Brazzaville2014" /> He returned to join Congo's elite [[paratroop]] regiment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Denis-Sassou-Nguesso|title=Denis Sassou-Nguesso {{!}} president of Republic of the Congo|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=29 March 2016}}</ref> He was one of the first officers of the Airborne Group, the first paratroop battalion of the Congolese Army, which was created by Marien Ngouabi in 1965.<ref name="Liste des présidents de la République du Congo Brazzaville2014" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=NOUAILLE-DEGORCE|first=Brigitte|title=NGOUABI MARIEN (1938–1977)|url=https://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/marien-ngouabi/|website=universalis.fr|date=19 January 1999}}</ref> He commanded the Airborne Group, the army and the Brazzaville Military Zone (ZAB), and then headed the Intelligence department of the State Security Services. He became captain, then commander, and was promoted to colonel (1978) and later as army general (1989).<ref name="Liste des présidents de la République du Congo Brazzaville2014" />