Seyran Ohanyan

Seyran Ohanyan (Սեյրան Մուշեղի Օհանյան; born 1 July 1962) is the current Defence Minister of Armenia and former Defence Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh. He has held this position since 14 April 2008.

Biography
Ohanyan was born in the town of Shushi, then a part of the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union. 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 joining 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 and had one of his legs amputated as a result of the injury.

In the government of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ohanyan served as Minister of Defense. Subsequently, 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 April 14, 2008.

Ohanyan is married and has three sons and one daughter.

Awards and decorations
He has been awarded with the medals and decorations of the USSR, Republic of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh Republic:

USSR: Republic of Nagorno Karabakh: Republic of Armenia: Ministry of Defence of Armenia:
 * 70th Anniversary of USSR Armed Forces
 * For Perfect Service
 * For Excellency
 * Hero of Artsakh
 * Golden Eagle
 * Combat Cross 1st degree,
 * For the liberation of Shushi
 * Combat Cross 1st degree
 * Tigran the Great
 * For the Service to the Motherland
 * For Perfect Service 1st and 2nd Degrees
 * Drastamat Kanayan
 * Marshal Baghramyan
 * For the strengthening of cooperation
 * Maternal Gratitude
 * Soviet Union Marshal Zhukov
 * Coat of Arms