Possible Clues:

• El Alamein soldier
• Jerboa, a fighter from North Africa
• Slangy resident of the Southwest
• See soldier do a bunk more than once
• WWII soldier in Africa
• A little beastly to fight where it's dry
• British soldier at El Alamein, e.g.
• Repeatedly run away from jerboa
• Soldier in the North African campaign (nineteen forty one to nineteen forty two)
• Old soldier restarted training