Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Dostum ya fara aiki a cikin 1970 a cikin matatar gas mai mallakar jihar a Sheberghan, yana shiga cikin siyasar ƙungiyar, yayin da sabuwar gwamnati ta fara ba da ma'aikatan ma'aikatan ma'aikatan man fetur da gas. Dalilin wannan shi ne don ƙirƙirar "rukunin don kare juyin juya halin
" 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.