Min Aung Hlaing basically grew up in the middle of Rangoon. His father U Khin Hlaing, worked as an engineering official for the Government Construction Corporation and they used to live in a large comfortable apartment directly opposite the Central Fire Station on the Sule Pagoda Road in Central Rangoon.
After his matriculation from the Central Boys High in March 1972 he became a Law major student in RASU (Rangoon Arts and Science University). While he was a Third Year Law student and a seasoned Corporal of UTC (University Training Corps) he was admitted into the Intake 19 of DSA (Defense Services Academy) in May Myo (Pyin-oo-lwin Town) in January 1974. He graduated from DSA in December 1977 and became a Second Lieutenant in Myanmar Army.
His early postings as a junior officer and later a mid-ranking officer were mostly in the infantry battalions of famous LID-88 (Light Infantry Division 88). The Divisional Commanding Officer of LID-88 in early 1980s was Colonel Than Shwe who eventually became the Senior General and the Chairman of SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) which was renamed later SPDC (State Peace and Development Council).
Min Aung Hlaing has always had the reputation as a brave fighter and a no-nonsense straight talker. He truly is a battle-hardened warrior of brutal Myanmar Army. He is also a serious scholar and a gentleman too.
He finally became a Brigadier General and the Commanding Officer of LID 44 based in Kyaikhto in Mon State. August 2003 saw him transferred to DSA as the 19th Rector. After three years in DSA he was promoted to a Major General and the CO of Myanmar Army Western Regional Command (Na-pa-kha) controlling the Arakan State bordering Bangladesh.
He was moved to the hot spot of Golden Triangle as the Commanding Officer of Triangle Regional Command in 2008 and eventually promoted in early 2009 to a Lt. General and Chief of the Second Bureau of Special Operations (BSO 2) controlling three Regional Army Commands (Northeastern, Eastern, and Triangle regional military commands).
There he led the successful military operations against the National democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) in the Kokang area of Shan State in August 2009.
He became the acting joint chief of staff of the army, navy, and air force in June 2010 and now he is the General Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar Armed Forces.
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