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MAJOR GENERAL SANTOSH KUMAR DHAKAL |
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Major General Santosh Kumar Dhakal, joined the Nepalese Army in 1987 (2044-7-15). He was commissioned from then Royal Nepalese Military Academy, Nepal into Shree Kali Prasad Battalion (Engineers) on 26 February, 1989 (2045-11-15).
He has attended various career courses in Nepal and abroad. He is an alumnus of Army Command and Staff College, Shivapuri, the Defense Service Staff College, Wellington, INDIA, National Defense University, USA and US Army War College, USA. He holds Masters Degrees in“Defense and Strategic Studies” from Madras University, INDIA, “Masters of Arts in Strategic Security Studies” from College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University, Washington D.C., USA and Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA.
Besides the mandatory career courses, he has also attended Infantry Officers Advance Course from Ft Benning, Georgia, USA, Special Operations on Combating Terrorism Course from Joint Special Operation University, Florida, USA, Civil Military Relations in Counter terrorism, Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, California, USA.
In his service career, he has held staff, command & instructional appointments. His important staff appointments include G2 Staff at Directorate of Military Training, Foreign Section, Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade, Operations Officer of an Infantry Division, Information Officer at Joint Operations Center, MONUC, in Democratic Republic of Congo, and Officiating Directorate of Strategic and Perspective Planning, Army HQs and Military Assistant to the Chief of the Army Staff.
He has successfully commanded No.7 Independent Field Company from 1988-1989, Shree First Rifle Battalion (Infantry) from 2004-2006, No.3 Bde from 2018-2019, Eastern Div HQs from 2020-2021 and Eastern Command HQs from 2021-2022 respectively. He was the Commandant of Nepali Military Academy from 2019-2020 and currently, appointed as the Commandant of Army Command and Staff College, Shivapuri.
As a Captain, he performed an instructional duty in Military Academy. He served as Directing Staff in Army Command and Staff College in 2006 - 2007, 2009, and 2011-2014 and Senior Instructor from 2014-2015. He has also performed as Senior Instructor as well as Directing Staff of Unit Command and Staff Course in Nepali Army War College, Nagarkot and performed as Senior Instructor of Higher Command and Management Course in Nepali Army War College, Nagarkot.
Furthermore, as a subject matter exchange program, he was engaged with Defense Service Staff College, Wellington, India; Defense Service Staff College, Mirpur, Bangladesh; Pakistan Military Academy (Kakul, Abbottabad); and National Defense Academy, Khadgawasla, India. In 2018, he was invited for a presentation on "Countering Violent Extremism" at Rabat, Morocco, a US sponsored program.
He is awarded with Su Pra Bal Janasewa Shree Tiritiya, the recipient of Distinguished Thesis Award, National Defense University, Washington DC, USA, the Best Student Award, Junior Staff Course in Nepal.
His interests are running, trekking, long walks, and coaching football. He loves to listen music and read Military history. Beside this he was also Captain of football team of Tribhuwan Army Club in 1989, during that time he took his team to India and played various tournaments.
He is married to Mrs Tara Dhakal (Chhetri) and the couple is blessed with a daughter, Diya and a son Chayan.