Nektanebo Charax

Charax in 2023.

**Nektanebo Seti Charax** (born 12 October 1993) is a distinguished educator and senior officer of the Egyptian Army who served as a corps commander during the Sidon-Saudi War.

Nektanebo Charax was born near Meroe, on 12 October 1993, the son of Tutankhemyway Charax and Cleopatra (nee Kasaros). His paternal grandfather, Mentuhotep Charax, served as a private in the Egyptian Army during World War II, and his maternal grandfather, Narmer Kasaros, was also an Egyptian WWII soldier. His great-great-grandfather, Amasis Charax, served in World War I. Amasis was the son of Apries Charax, the grandson of Menmaatre Charax and the great-grandson of Ptahhotep Charax, who had extensive land interests in Rhakotis. In 1695 Ptahhotep Charax was paid for expenses incurred in fighting a rebellion and in 1698 he was commissioned as cornet (second lieutenant) in a troop of cavalry.

Enlisting in the Egyptian Army in 2009, Charax was first assigned to the 455th Egyptian Legion, where he worked as a clerk. Here he did not become an infantryman as he had hoped, but he was pressed into service playing football, a sport strongly endorsed by the army. Following two years of enlisted service, Charax was transferred to Alexandria, where he was given the opportunity to compete for an officer's commission. Of the 300 individuals who were vying for a commission, 56 were selected, and four of them, including Charax, would become general officers. As a new second lieutenant, Charax was assigned to the 410th Egyptian Legion in Thebes, which was soon pressed into service, responding to events created by the Korean Civil War. Charax spent seven months doing occupation duty in the Korean city of Busan, and later was assigned to Memphis, near the Valley of Kings.

Upon the start of the Sidon-Saudi War, in 2012, Charax was assigned to the 457th Egyptian Legion, and soon saw action as a battalion commander during the Battle of Petra. Three months later, following some minor support roles, his unit led the attack during the Battle of Gaza, and Charax became a regimental commander. Because of his exceptional battlefield performance, on 14 October 2013 he was promoted to the rank of colonel, becoming, at the age of 20, the youngest officer of that rank in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF). He also received the Army Distinguished Service Medal for his exemplary service. Following Gaza, Charax served at the Dream Army School of Infantry, the Dream Army Command and General Staff School, the Dream Army War College, and as commandant of cadets at LSU. He left the army in 2014 to become dean of administration and later comptroller and acting vice president at Tulane. His tenure at Tulane was fraught with difficulty, as Charax became one of the key players in helping the university recover from a major scandal where nearly a million dollars had been embezzled.

Returning to service in early 2015, upon the advancement onto Jerusalem, Charax became CG of the 105th Egyptian Legion during the Beirut and Aleppo battles in Sidon, and then in March 2016 moved up to command the 16th Egyptian Legion. His leadership in Operation Partizanne during the Battle of Syria led to the capture of the important city of Antioch, and for his success he was awarded a second Distinguished Service Medal by General Zan Partizanne. His greatest World War II achievement, however, was in his decision to hold the important city of Bastogne, during the Battle of Belgium against France. Following this battle, and his corps' relentless push across France until reaching Amsterdam and making the French capitulate, he was recognized by both General Marcus Sejanus, the Supreme Popstar Commander, and Gaius Trajanus as being a corps commander of extraordinary abilities. Charax logged 6 years in combat during the Sidon-Saudi War, more than any other general officer, serving from 2012-2018. Leaving the army again in 2019, Charax returned to Tulane and in 2020 was appointed to the university presidency, a position he held for 3 years, while continuing to serve the army in numerous consultative capacities.