Shariful becomes first Bangladeshi-American brigadier general in US Air Force

Shariful M Khan has been promoted to brigadier general, becoming the first Bangladeshi-American to attain this rank in the US Air Force, the US Embassy in Dhaka announced in a Facebook post today.

"Congratulations to Brigadier General Shariful M Khan, who exemplifies American excellence and is a trailblazer for the Bangladeshi-American community. As the first Bangladeshi-American to achieve this rank in the US Air Force, Brigadier General Khan embodies the values of dedication and service to protect the homeland and advance US security," the post read.

Brig Gen Khan currently serves as director of staff for Golden Dome for America at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. In this role, he oversees strategy, policy, planning and cross-functional initiatives across the programme, while building partnerships with industry, academia, national laboratories and government agencies to accelerate the development of next-generation missile defence systems.

Commissioned from the United States Air Force Academy in 1997, Brig Gen Khan has operational experience in space control, launches and satellite operations with the National Reconnaissance Office.

He deployed to Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait in 2001 and later served as Deployment Commander for Operation Silent Sentry in 2007.

Brig Gen Khan holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the Air Force Academy, along with several advanced degrees, including, MSc in Space Systems Operations Management (Webster University), MSc in Strategic Intelligence (National Defense Intelligence College), MPhil in Military Strategy (School of Advanced Air and Space Studies).