Kammala jumla mai zuwa: Dostum ya fara aiki ne a shekarar 1970 a wata matatar iskar gas da ke mallakar jihar a Sheberghan, yana shiga harkokin siyasa, yayin da sabuwar gwamnati ta fara ba da ma'aikatan ma'aikatan man fetur da na gas. Dalilin wannan shi ne ya haifar da "kungiyoyi don kare
juyin juya hali". Saboda sabbin ra'ayoyin kwaminisanci da suka shiga Afghanistan a shekarun 1970, ya shiga rundunar sojin Afghanistan a shekarar 1978. Dostum ya sami horon soja na asali a Jalalabad. An tura rundunarsa a yankunan karkara kusa da Sheberghan, a karkashin kulawar Ma'aikatar Tsaro ta Kasa.