Kammala wannan jumla: A shekara ta 1955, ya shiga rundunar sojojin Faransa kuma an tura shi zuwa Algeria a lokacin yakin basasa.
yakin neman 'yancin kai a shekarar 1957. Bayan hidimarsa a rundunar sojan Faransa, Conté ya koma Guinea, wanda ya sami 'yanci daga Faransa a ranar 2 ga Oktoba 1958, kuma an haɗa shi cikin sabuwar rundunar tare da mukamin sarge. A shekarar 1962, ya halarci makarantar jami'an sansanin Alpha a Conakry. Ba da daɗewa ba bayan haka, an tura shi zuwa cibiyar horar da bindigogi ta 2 a Kindia. A ranar 1 ga Yuli, 1963, an daukaka shi zuwa Laftanar na biyu. Wannan ya biyo bayan shekaru biyu daga baya ta wani ci gaba daga Mataimakin Laftanar zuwa Laftanar. A ranar 22 ga Nuwamba, 1970, sojojin Fotigal tare da 'yan adawa na Guinea sun mamaye kasar daga Guinea ta Fotigal (yanzu Guinea-Bissau) a cikin wani yunƙuri na ganin an hambarar da gwamnatin Shugaba Ahmed Sékou Touré da kuma lalata mayakan PAIGC. Don hidimarsa ga al'umma, an daukaka shi zuwa matsayin Kyaftin a ranar 27 ga Fabrairu, 1971. A shekarar 1973, an nada shi kwamandan yankin Boké (a Arewa maso Yammacin Guinea) don taimakawa kungiyar 'yan tawaye masu neman' yanci, Jam'iyyar Afirka don 'Yancin Guinea da Cape Verde (PAIGC) a makwabciyar Guinea ta Fotigal. A ranar 10 ga Mayu, 1975, an nada shi mataimakin shugaban ma'aikatan sojojin.