LTC Sargis Sangari USA (Ret.) is a 20-plus-year veteran of the United States Army Infantry and Special Operations Forces with multiple combat deployments to Iraq, a diplomatic assignment in Kuwait, and several other deployments to the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Central America.

Sargis Sangari is the CEO of the Near East Center for Strategic Engagement (NEC-SE), which he founded on September 11, 2014, in commemoration of the Americans who were murdered in the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and in recognition of the first responders who continue to suffer and die from health effects arising from the attacks. 

In 2015 LTC Sangari also founded the United Assyrian Appeal (UAA) and serves as its first president, which the IRS recognizes as a not-for-profit 501(C)(3) charitable organization that provides services and funding to support better health, education, and general welfare of survivors and those displaced by the genocide perpetrated against Christian communities in the Near East and adjacent countries.  Two of the many International non-governmental organizations UAA teams up with are the ETANA Woman’s Organization in Iraq and the Jacaranda Community Woman’s Organization in Africa.

Sangari also serves as a senior advisor to The Asymmetric Operations Group (AOG), which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization made up of elite special operations and law enforcement veterans who have retooled their unique and highly-developed skills to address global issues such as poaching, human trafficking, and critical situations faced in community policing.

Sangari is also the Raven Group International, LLC. (RGI’s) Director of US Government Relations tasked with relationship building with the US Government and its agencies to facilitate active participation and support for Ravens Challenge exercises. Serving in a Middle East advisory role due to your specialized knowledge of the region and membership on the RGI Board for key company decisions.

In 2018 Sargis was asked to join the Legion of Saint Michael Law Enforcement community and is currently the international representative for the first responders of the club’s main chapter.  His support of the law enforcement community is integral to the NEC-SE’s ability to support the first responders’ needs throughout the nation and represent it on the international level.  He is a liaison for the Saint Michael Law Enforcement Club to the international law forces.

In 2017-2020 LTC Sangari also ran as a Republican candidate for the 9th Congressional District of Illinois.  in 2018 The Chicago Tribune and Daily Herald endorsed him in the Republican primary.  The tribune stated: “…Sangari’s military background, including combat deployments, strengthens his breadth of expertise.”  The Daily Herald wrote: “…we endorse Sangari because of the depth of his understanding of global affairs.  While he might be more conservative than we’d normally endorse, his idealistic commitment to move beyond party politics to solve problems structurally is strongly appealing.”  In 2020 Sangari became the Republican Nominee and received 107,818 votes in a shortened COVID general elections race.

Sangari, participated in a panel discussion at the 3rd Annual Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) Financial Institution and Law Enforcement Collaboration Forum hosted by the U.S. Capital Chapter of the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) in McLean, VA.  LTC Sangari’s specific panel discussion focused on establishing effective public/private partnerships, 314(a)/314(b) information sharing and best practices, and emerging trends in AML/CTF and Trans-National Organized Crime (TNOC).  LTC Sangari is continuing to support local, regional, and international ACAMS events.  

LTC Sangari writings and postings have been read and referenced in over 143 countries out of the 257 worldwide.  They have been referenced in over 2.895,00 new media outlets, academic journals, and strategic think tanks. Sargis has been featured in many national and international publications and newspapers including writing several feature articles for the Chicago Daily Herald that referencing what he coined as backyard wars and China’s war against the United States.

Over six years of continuous combat deployment, LTC Sangari conducted 144 combat patrols, 22 Special Forces missions, and two key direct-action operations. He conducted 670 key leader and tribal leader engagements in support of multiple counterinsurgency operations and wrote three major policy papers for the Special Operations Forces and the U.S. Marines on the subjects of federalism and governance and an executive summary on civil-military operations.  These policies legitimized three newly elected city councils and two mayors in Al Anbar province, countering enemy influence and indirectly allowing a new approach to support the Sons of Iraq efforts in Iraq.

LTC Sangari has also conducted over 1,700 civil-military operations, foreign internal defense support operations, noncombat evacuations, disaster relief and emergency management missions. He conducted over 7,000 humanitarian missions throughout the Middle East to mitigate citywide emergencies covering provincial and regional shortfalls in support of unconventional warfare, irregular warfare, direct action, and contingency operations.

LTC Sangari planned, resourced, and executed the reception and integration of military personnel from the US Army, including North Atlantic Treaty Organization Executive Officers and well-known civilian inter-agency personnel from six different US Civilian agencies, thus creating the groundwork for a Coordinating Reconstruction and Development Activities Cell for operations in Afghanistan.  The Specialty Skills Initiative (SSI) became a pilot and case study for how the army recruits, trains, and conducts future civil-military operations in accessible and remote areas of the world.

His final major projects before retiring from the army in 2013 entailed the analysis, design, and development of metrics and standards used to accredit the United States Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS) in both training and education and to include assessments and accreditation of the training which affected all civil affairs, special forces, psychological operations, and other special units personnel totaling between 15-20 thousand persons.  He applied his mastery of the latest doctrinal tenants in a thorough analysis of the final draft of the strategic manual on the Concept for Shaping Warfighting Functions that improved the nesting of the new concepts into the extant Warfighting Functions and the U.S Army Special Operation Command Commanders 2022 vision which the Assyrian Army beta tested on the battlefields of Iraq and Syria.

Biographic

Lieutenant Colonel Sargis Sangari was born and raised in Rezaiyeh (Urmia), Iran.  He immigrated to the United States in 1980 at age ten after the Iranian Revolution.  LTC Sangari received a two-year Reserve Officer Training Corp Scholarship and began his Army service in 1994 after graduating from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a commission in the Infantry. 

After completing the Infantry Officer Basic Course, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 506 Infantry Regiment (Air Assault), Camp Greaves, and Camp Giant Korea, where he served as a two-time Rifle Platoon Leader. Upon his departure from Korea, LTC Sangari was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, Fort Lewis, Washington, serving as a Rifle Platoon Leader, Mortar Platoon Leader, Headquarters and Headquarters Company Executive Officer, Battalion Motor Officer, and Battalion S3 Air.  LTC Sangari deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia in support of Operation Joint Endeavor as the principal staff advisor for Chief of Staff Military Operations for U.S. Forces and National Agencies force protection for Implementation Forces (IFOR) and Stabilization Forces (SFOR) and the theater safety officer for all of Theater SFOR.

After completing the Infantry Officer Advance Course, LTC Sangari was assigned to Basic Combat Training Brigade, Fort Benning, Georgia, as Company Commander, Brigade S4, and Brigade Assistant-S3.  LTC Sangari was later assigned to United States Army Recruiting Command as the Headquarters Headquarters Company Commander/Facility Manager, Special Projects Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), and Assistant Current Operations Officer.

Upon completing the Civil Affairs and the Regional Studies Courses, LTC Sangari was assigned as Civil Affairs Team-Alpha Team Leader with the 96th Infantry Battalion.  His team deployed to Iraq to support the 1st and 5th Special Forces Groups in the Al Anbar Province.  After the surge approval, his team stayed to support the Navy Tasking Unit.

Upon his team’s return, LTC Sangari attended and graduated from the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  After graduation, he deployed in support of the 10th Mountain Division (Light), Fort Drum, NY, as the Deputy G9.

LTC Sangari’s follow-on assignment was a family-sponsored diplomatic billet as the Director of Host Nation Affairs for Area Support Group-Kuwait.  Upon his return, he was assigned to John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS) where he served as the Director for Basic Language Course, Quality Assurance Action Officer, and special project officer for Deputy Commanding General (DCG) USAJFKSWCS.  He completed his 20 years six-month career as the Quality Assurance Officer for the Civil Affairs Directorate.

His awards and decorations include the Combat Action Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, and Parachutist Badge.  His foreign awards include the German Armed Forces Efficiency Badge in Gold and German Armed Forces Marksmanship Badge in Bronze.  LTC Sangari language capabilities include Assyrian/Aramaic, Persian-Farsi, and Turkish-Azari. 

LTC Sangari is a Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC) Certified Officer, Certified Anti-Terrorism Level I & II Officer and earned his Executive Certificate in Counterterrorism and Technology from the International Institute for Counterterrorism (ICT), of The Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, Israel. 

Sargis lives in Skokie, Illinois, with his wife, Helen and four children: son Ashur (19), daughter Nineveh (17); daughter Atalia (14); and son Sargon (10).