Before 2008, Min Aung Hlaing was just an ordinary general in the Burmese army, but it took only about a decade for him to quickly rise to the rank of general in the Burmese army. In 1972, at the age of 16, he entered the Faculty of Law at the University of Yangon, and then quickly applied to transfer to the military academy. In 1974, Min Aung Hlaing finally got his wish and entered the military academy of his dreams.
At military school, Min Aung Hlaing left the impression on most of his classmates as low-key and gentle. He served as commander in Myanmar's Golden Triangle, a complex and challenging region. However, Min Aung Hlaing took office in 2002 and managed to take control of the Golden Triangle in just one year. He then returned to his alma mater, took over the position of principal, and was awarded the rank of major general in 2006.
It wasn't until 2008 that Min Aung Hlaing caught the attention of the Burmese army leader, General Than Shwe, during the Kokang 88 incident, and he began to be promoted quickly. One side of the Kokang 88 Incident, the predecessor of the Kokang Allied Army, which we now know the most, was then controlled by Peng Deren, the father of the current Peng Jiasheng. In this incident, Min Aung Hlaing joined forces with the rebel forces within Kokang, Bai Socheng, and successfully drove the Peng army up the mountain. This incident made Min Aung Hlaing, who came from the 88th Division, the veteran unit of General Than Shwe, the leader of the Burmese army, begin to be highly used.
Over time, Min Aung Hlaing became General Than Shwe's right-hand man. In 2010, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Tatmadaw and promoted to Commander-in-Chief in 2011. Since then, Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the Burmese army, has officially begun to rise.