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

Shariful M Khan has become the first Bangladeshi-origin officer to rise to the rank of brigadier general in the United States military.

He was promoted to the rank at a ceremony at the Pentagon on Aug 20, according to M Osman Siddique, the first Muslim to serve as a US ambassador. The oath was administered by Gen Sean Bratton, vice chief of Space Operations of the US Space Force.

Khan is now the first and only Bangladeshi-American to hold such a senior post in the US military, Siddique said in a post on X, reports bdnews24.com.

According to the US Air Force website, Brig Gen Khan currently serves at the Pentagon as director of staff of the “Golden Dome of America”, overseeing policy, planning, deployment and interagency coordination for the country’s layered missile defence system.

Born in Bangladesh, Khan was commissioned from the US Air Force Academy in 1997. A trained satellite operator, he gained early experience in space control, launch operations and the National Reconnaissance Office. He rose to the rank of colonel in 2017 and now, eight years later, has reached brigadier general.

Khan has an extensive operational and leadership record. He deployed to Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait in 2001, and again in 2007 as Deployment Commander for Operation Silent Sentry. He has commanded at both squadron and wing levels, including the 379th Space Range Squadron and the 310th Space Wing at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, where he directed the operations and staff activities of about 1,500 personnel across 19 units and three direct reporting units. He has also served on the staff of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Currently, Brig Gen Khan serves at the Pentagon as Director of Staff of the “Golden Dome for America”, responsible for policy, planning and coordination of the United States’ multi-layered missile defence system.

He also holds an extensive academic record. Alongside his Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the Air Force Academy, he has earned advanced degrees in Space Systems Operations Management, Strategic Intelligence, Military Strategy, and National Security Studies from institutions including Webster University, the National Defense Intelligence College, the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, and the US Naval War College. More recently, he completed the MIT National Security Fellowship, a NATO Senior Officer Policy Course in Germany, and an Executive Leadership Programme at Georgetown University.