Nyorai mberi kweiyi ndima - Muna 1955, akanyoresa muuto reFrance uye akatumirwa kuAlgeria panguva yehondo yerusununguko
muna 1957. Mushure mekushanda kwake muuto reFrance, Conté akadzokera kuGuinea, iyo yakazvimiririra kubva kuFrance musi wa2 Gumiguru 1958, uye akabatanidzwa muuto idzva aine chinzvimbo chesajenda. Muna 1962, akapinda chikoro chevakuru veCamp Alpha muConakry. Nokukurumidza pashure pacho, akaendeswa ku 2nd Battalion artillery-training centre muKindia. Musi wa 1 Chikunguru 1963, akasimudzirwa kuva Second Lieutenant. Ikoku kwakateverwa makore maviri gare gare nokumwe kukwidziridzwa kubva kuna Second Lieutenant kusvika kuna Lieutenant. Musi wa22 Mbudzi 1970, mauto ePortugal pamwe chete nevapanduki veGuinea vakapinda munyika kubva kuPortuguese Guinea (yava kunzi Guinea-Bissau) mukuedza kupidigura hurumende yaMutungamiri Ahmed Sékou Touré nekuparadza varwi vePAIGC. Nokuda kwebasa rake kunyika, akasimudzirwa pachinzvimbo chaKaputeni musi wa 27 Kukadzi 1971. Muna 1973, akagadzwa semutungamiri weBoké operational zone (kuNorthwestern Guinea) kuti abatsire kurwira rusununguko, African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) muPortuguese Guinea yakavakidzana. Musi wa 10 Chivabvu 1975, akatumidzwa zita rekuti mutevedzeri weChief of Staff wemauto.