Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Gowon ya shiga rundunar sojojin Najeriya a shekarar 1954, kuma ya sami mukaminsa a matsayin laftanan na biyu a ranar 19 ga Oktoba, 1955, ranar haihuwarsa ta 21. An horar da shi a babbar makarantar soja ta Royal Sandhurst, UK (1955<unk>56), Kwalejin Ma'aikata, Camberley, UK (1962) da kuma Kwalejin Ma'aikata, Latimer, 1965. Ya ga aiki a Congo
a matsayin wani bangare na Majalisar Dinkin Duniya na kiyaye zaman lafiya, duka a 1960-61 da kuma a 1963. Ya ci gaba da zama kwamandan kwamandan ta 1966, a lokacin da yake har yanzu ya kasance Laftanar Kanar.