Atem fought in the
Second Sudanese Civil War, which resulted in the establishment of
South Sudan as an independent nation. David joined the Jamus Battalion on May 16, 1983, when fighting broke out in
Bor. In January 2021, he was deployed to the SSPDF General headquarters in Bilpham by President
Salva Kiir Mayardit and as the Director of Administration, Personnel, and Finance by the Commander in Chief of the SSPDF Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit. He held the position for nearly a month, until his death in
Juba on 26 February 2021 due to
COVID-19. == References ==