Lifestyle

Saydulla Madaminov – Life of a veteran

Published

4 years ago

September 15, 2022

The 4th Commander of Uzbekistan Air and Air Defence Forces, a 3rd, 2nd, 1st class of military pilot with a ‘Pilot Sniper’ badge, a squadron leader, serving as the Commander of the 735th Aviation Regiment, or doing international visits as Commander of the Uzbek Air Force to Turkey, US, Russia, UK, and Italy, Colonel Madaminov has it all have the title of a veteran. He has experienced the scent of what the Air Force Mission truly circumscribes.

Saydulla Abdukuddusovich Madaminov is a retired colonel of Uzbekistan who also served as the 4^th commander of Uzbekistan Air and Air Defence Forces from 2001 to 2003.

Born to be in the Air Force

Saydullah Madaminov was born in 1957, in Osh, Kirghiz SSR. His career, life, and battles have set a list of achievements and have made him an inspirational role model for generations to come in the Air Force.

He received his education from Yeisk Higher Military Aviation Institute (EVVAUL) from 1974 to 1978. He was sent to the Transbaikal Military District upon graduation, where he joined the 23rd Air Army, first at Step and then at Dzhida in 1980. In 1982, he was promoted to flight commander. In 1983, he got transferred to Brand Airbase in East Germany to join the GSFG. By 1987, he rose to become a squadron leader.

Undeniable contributions

Saydullah earned an additional military degree from the Gagarin Air Force Academy in Monino from 1988 to mid-1991. After successfully acquiring his second tertiary degree. Saydullah, as a powerful force, didn’t stop there; there was still more to come for him. He then continued his Soviet Military Service at the Turkestan Military District. Then came the summer of 1991, when he arrived at the Khanabad Air Base and became the Chief of staff and the First Deputy to the Commander of the 735th Aviation Regiment. After the collapse of the USSR, by 1993, the Soviet Military Authority went downhill in Uzbekistan, ultimately leading to the appointment of Saydullah as the Commander of the 735^th aviation regiment, which in August of 1995 was re-named the 60^th Aviation Regiment of the then newly formed Uzbek Air Defence Forces. The freshly established Uzbek military was re-arranged. Khanabad Air Base became the most extensive air force base in the country.

Cementing the legacy

The mid-90s saw the emergence of the Tajik Civil War, which embroiled the Uzbek Air Force; Colonel Madaminov successfully carried out over 120 sorties targeting the Islamic extremist. Then in the late 90s, he participated in military operations, successfully neutralizing the IMU fighters who had taken over some mountainous areas in the northern Surxondaryo and launched an incursion into the Batken and Osh regions of Kyrgyzstan.

In March 1999, the Ministry of Defense transferred Saydulla to the capital Tashkent, where he was promoted to the Deputy Commander of the Uzbek Air and Air Defence Forces. In October 2001, by decree of President Islam Karimov, Colonel Madaminov was appointed the Commander of the Uzbekistan Air and Air Defence Forces. He executed that role until late 2003. After that, his journey as a senior military advisor and inspector for the Ministry of Defense of Uzbekistan began. Saydullah retired from the Military in August 2007.

Colonel Saydulla had received Medal “For Distinction in Military Service” and “Jasorat.” He received the “Shon-Sharaf Order,” or The Order of Glory, for his devotion and courage in defending the country and strengthening Uzbekistan’s defense and national security.

Throughout his career, he has mastered aircraft including L-29, L-39, MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-23, Su-7, Su-17, Su-24, An-26, and Yak-42. He has taken 10,274 flights and spent total flight hours of 4072 during military service and 770 in commercial aviation.

Legacy Continues

After retiring from the military, Saydulla turned to civil aviation. He worked as a Yak 42 Captain for Tulpar Air from 2011 and 2013. Initially, he was located in Kazan but later relocated to Vnukovo Airport in Moscow. Before fully retiring from all aviation work and moving back to Uzbekistan, Saydullah became the Deputy Head of Gosaviandzor for the North Caucasian Federal District in 2014. He worked from the Mineralnye Vody Airport and held that position until late 2021.

Lifestyle

How Critical-Thinking Skills Will Enable Your Kids to Battle Misinformation

Published

6 days ago

May 20, 2026

Michelle Langton

Photo: Tuttle Twins

Michael Currier of Massachusetts is an unvaccinated gastroenterologist and entrepreneur, and he’s seen misinformation firsthand. He’s long been teaching his kids how to spot misinformation, but they were naturally skeptical when they didn’t hear it from anyone but him. However, the right books taught his kids how to combat misinformation, and they will teach your kids too! If you’re wondering how to raise independent thinkers who can spot misinformation, the Tuttle Twins books are essential tools for your toolbelt.

How Critical Thinking Combats Misinformation

When kids can think critically, they become able to evaluate the credibility of sources and look for evidence, also identifying their own and others’ biases. Critical thinkers don’t just passively absorb information; they take it apart piece by piece to see what makes it “tick.”

Critical thinkers question the credentials of an author or source, alongside their motivations and whether they provide supporting evidence that goes beyond just statements that require trust. Kids who can think critically also spot confirmation bias, which is the tendency to believe something that fits in well with the thinker’s current belief system or worldview. This reduces demand for fake news that simply elicits an emotional reaction.

When your kids can think critically and independently, they will also be able to spot logical fallacies, like drawing causal conclusions from data that’s simply correlational. Critical thinkers can also tell the difference between scientific evidence and someone’s opinion.

Independent, critical thinkers don’t just read a page. They look up information from other trusted sources to verify that the original source is accurate. Critical thinking also encourages a healthy skepticism that causes independent thinkers to pause and assess emotionally charged content before they spread it around, realizing that misinformation frequently exploits outrage or fear.

Critical thinkers can also recognize propaganda tactics such as loaded language, false dilemmas, and “alternative facts.”

Photo: Tuttle Twins

Seeking Out Books that Teach Critical Thinking

At this point, parents wondering how to raise independent thinkers will want to look for books that teach critical thinking, like the Tuttle Twins series. The Tuttle Twins books explain things like misinformation, freedom of speech, and even the World Economic Forum while explaining that certain people get to decide what is and isn’t misinformation.

Books that teach critical thinking don’t just present facts. They encourage kids to analyze, evaluate, and put together arguments, frequently shining a light on logical fallacies and biases while calling for active application instead of a passive taking-in of information. Books that teach critical thinking will help you with how to raise independent thinkers by guiding you and your child through reasoned questioning and requiring evidence behind facts.

The Tuttle Twins series wraps every lesson in an engaging story that doesn’t just teach the information presented. The Tuttle Twins books also encourage all the above elements found in books that teach critical thinking. You can even enhance the critical-thinking skills embedded in all the Tuttle Twins books by pausing throughout the story and asking open-ended questions such as: What do you think the character should do next? What were some alternate solutions to the problem? What do you think could have been the consequences of those solutions?

Books that teach critical thinking like the Tuttle Twins series will go a long way toward helping you learn how to raise independent thinkers. They will also help you create special moments with your kids that they’ll remember forever! Join the growing number of parents who don’t want their kids to just be passive absorbers of information.