01/07/2014 13:22
Armenian defense minister marks his birthday today
Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan marks his birthday today.
He was appointed defense minister of Armenia by a presidential decree of April 14, 2008.
Seyran Ohanyan was born in the town of Shushi, Nagorno Karabakh on July 1, 1962. In 1979, he completed high school in the village of Mrgashen, in the region of Nairi in the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Ohanyan attended the Baku Higher Joint Command College and completed his studies there in 1983. He served as the Second Battalion commander in the 366th Motor Rifle Regiment of Soviet Ground Forces's 23rd Motor Rifle Division with the rank of a major before being sent for further service in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. He acted as commander of a motorized infantry platoon, and in March 1987 was appointed commander of the rifle company. In June 1988, he was transferred to the Red Banner Transcaucasian BO and was appointed commander of the infantry company commander of the 366th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment stationed in Stepanakert. Ohanyan was appointed deputy commander of a motorized infantry battalion of the same regiment on August 1989 and commander of the 2nd infantry battalion on September 1990.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Ohanyan joined Nagorno-Karabakh's newly formed army in 1991 and playing a major role in the Nagorno-Karabakh war against Azerbaijan. He was seriously wounded in action in 1992. After the war, he was Deputy Commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army from 1994 to 1999 and the Defence Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from August 1999 to May 2007.
Subsequently in the Republic of Armenia, he was appointed as chief of the general staff of the Armenian Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of Defense of Armenia in 2007. After Serzh Sargsyan took office as President of Armenia, he appointed Ohanyan as Minister of Defense on 14 April 2008.
Ohanyan is married and has three sons and one daughter.
His awards include:
Order of the Combat Cross, 1st class; Tigran Mets Order, Drastamat Kanayan Medal, Marshal Baghramyan Medal, Medal "For the Service to the Motherland", Hero of Artsakh (September 1999), Order of the Combat Cross, 1st class, Medal "For the liberation of Shushi" as well as Soviet Union awards.