He joined PLAN in July 1974. He travelled through Angola and Zambia before he arrived at Oshatotwa where he reunited with some of his childhood peers such as Niilo Taapopi “Kambwa kaShilongo”, Shaanika Amukwaya, Max Kaanandunge, Nekwaya lyaHango, Athanasius Chimwandi and Rex Sheehama, amongst others.
These young militants received their basic military training at Oshatotwa in Zambia under Commander Mac Namara and together with his fellow PLAN Combatants like Commander Lucas Hangula “Fogu” and Commander Darius Shikongo “Mbolondondo” as well as Commander Niilo Taapopi “Kambwa kaShilongo” and others, they were the first group of 100 PLAN Combatants Volunteers to leave Zambia on 23 November 1974 and go to Casappa training camp in Angola, where they received further military training in different guerilla tactics.
Indeed, under Commander Mbulunganga together with Commander Dimo Hamaambo, and combatants of PLAN such as Aron Embashu (Shongambele), Paulus Nandenga (Zulu), Wilbard Tashiya (Nakada), Elise Haulyondjaba, John Hamukoto (Kalola), Jonas Kataleonga (katengela), Erickson Hauwanga (Kapanya), Jonas Kapapu (Mumbwela Weemhadi), Linus Hamwele (Mawila), Sakeus Kapulwa (Kapuleko), Ismael Kamati (Ngiringiri), among others, were fighting against both the Portuguese in 1974, as Angola was not yet free, as well as South Africa. Akudhenga was later deployed and operated at the Northern Front under the leadership of Commander Isak Shikongo “Pondo” and Commissar Niilo Taapopi “Kambwa kaShilongo” between 1975 and 1976 and was the first PLAN Combatant to attack targets in the area of Ruacana.
At the end of March 1976, at the battle of Ohaukelo, East of Ondobe, Akudhenga earned himself the title “Fearless Commander” when he distinguished himself from his comrades as a brave and fearless combatant. He and Amini were injured and sent back to Angola for medical treatment and after that he was deployed at the Defence Headquarters in Lubango as a personal driver to the Late Commander Peter Nanyemba, the then SWAPO Secretary for Defence.
in 1977, Akudhenga was sent to the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) for Battalion Commanders’ Course at Odessa in the District of Ukraine. After his military training, he returned to Angola and was deployed to the North Western Front under the Late Commander Uuno Shaanika “Kanana” and Commander Niilo Taapopi “Kambwa kaShilongo” as Regional Commissar.
He was appointed as a Deputy Commander of the Air Force Detachment and later became its Commander. In 1980, he was assigned to command the Special Forces Detachment. Those two detachments, while under Retired Colonel Akudhenga’s command.
In 1981, in recognition of his fearlessness and astuteness as a combatant, Akudhenga was appointed as the Chief of Operations of the North Western Front and later appointed as Acting Chief of Staff of the Front when the substantive Chief of Staff, Comrade Erastus Negonga “Jicky”, went for further training abroad. He was later confirmed in that position after Commander Negonga was promoted to command the North Western Front in 1982. In 1983, Akudhenga partook in a Special Operations planned and organized by the Regional Commander of the North Western Front to attack Sector 10 Headquarters of the South West Africa Territorial Force (SWATF) at Oshakati.
Akudhenga was sent to Vystrel Academy in the former Soviet Union in 1983 for the Mechanised Infantry Brigade course, completing that training in 1984 and returned to Angola and was immediately assigned the responsibility of Chief of Staff of the North Eastern Front, the position he occupied until 1986. From 1987 to 1990 Akudhenga went for further tertiary studies at the Institute of Social Science in Moscow, Russia