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Sher Mohammad Karimi

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Sher Mohammad Karimi
Born (1945-11-11) 11 November 1945 (age 79)
Allegiance Afghanistan
BranchAfghan National Army seal Afghan National Army
Years of servicec. 1967–2015
Rank General
CommandsChief of the General Staff
Battles / wars
AwardsMeritorious Service Medal
Alma mater

General Sher Mohammad Karimi (born 11 November 1945) is an Afghan former military officer who served as Chief of the General Staff of the Afghan National Army from 2010 to 2015. An ethnic Pashtun, Karimi was born in Khost Province of Afghanistan.

Biography

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An ethnic Pashtun,[1][2] Karimi was born on 11 November 1945 in Khost Province, Kingdom of Afghanistan.[3] He joined the Afghan Army around 1967,[4] and attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1968,[5] becoming its first Afghan graduate.[3] Karimi also graduated from the National Defence College, India, and the United States Army Command and General Staff College.[3] In addition, before the communist takeover, he completed the qualification course of the United States Army Special Forces.[6]

After the 1978 Saur Revolution in Afghanistan, Karimi was arrested and incarcerated by the Khalq faction of the PDPA communist party because of his Western education. He was employed as a director during Dr. Mohammad Najibullah Government in ministry of defence. Unlike many of his communist colleagues and the majority of the Afghan officer corps, Karimi had never received training in the Soviet Union. He was eventually forced into exile in Pakistan until the removal of the Taliban government in late 2001.

In 2003, Karimi returned to the country to help establish the Afghan National Army of the new U.S.-backed government.[3] By 2006 he was serving as the ANA chief of operations, with the rank of major general. Around that time he had a critical role in the creation of the Afghan National Army Commando Corps.[6]

Karimi returned to his special-operations roots at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in February 2010. Previously, he served as the Chief of Operations for the Afghan Ministry of Defense.[7]

Education

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References

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  1. ^ Brown, Pamela (June 20, 2010). "Analysis of the Afghan Defesnse Appointments" (PDF). Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 6, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2011. Karimi, a Pashtun, has been nominated to replace Bismillah Khan.
  2. ^ Karimi, General Shir Mohammad Sher Sheer
  3. ^ a b c d "Biography of General Sher Mohammad Karimi, Afghan National Army Chief of General Staff". Library and Archives Canada. March 21, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  4. ^ "Afghan general visits Sandhurst". www.gov.uk. February 6, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  5. ^ "Afghan Army Chief returns to Sandhurst". www.gov.uk. April 19, 2011. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Sobchak, Frank K. (2024). Training for Victory: U.S. Special Forces Advisory Operations from El Salvador to Afghanistan. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-68247-133-3.
  7. ^ "Footage shows insurgents with U.S. ammo" Accessed at: http://www.afghanemb-canada.net/en/news_bulletin/2009/Nov/10/index.php
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Military offices
Preceded by Chief of Staff of the Afghan National Army
2010–2015
Succeeded by