Qahtani is a Saudi Armed Forces veteran of 35 years. During a recent interview with Okaz newspaper, he narrated how he boldly fought in defense of the Arab soil during his more than five years' stay in Kark in Jordan keeping a close watch on the happenings in the area bordering Israel. Al-Qahtani joined the Saudi Armed Forces during the era of late King Abdul Aziz and continued working during the reigns of his sons Saud, Faisal, Khaled and Fahd. Al-Qahtani does not remember the year of his birth because of his tribal Bedouin nomadic background which gave no importance to jot down anybody's year of birth or death those days. Bedouins usually remember their births with the dates of the battlefields. He joined the Armed Forces in 1949 and he was in his 20s when he first worked at King Abdul Aziz Airport in Taif. Al-Qahtani vividly remembers King Abdul Aziz's plane landing for the first time on Taif airstrip made of dust roads. He recalls that “this unforgettable event” took place during the Haj season. Following this he said he was transferred to the Mechanized Division where he worked in the mining section until 1951. Al-Qahtani claims he retired in 1986. He was also posted at Tabuk where he worked for 12 years and then sent to Jordan. He said that period was characterized by the mobilization of Arab armies to confront Israel. The mechanized platoon he worked for was engaged in planting mines. His platoon spent five years in Kark after which he was transferred to Tabuk then to Jeddah where he had his family. Al-Qahtani was decorated with King Faisal Medal in 1973 in appreciation of his excellent services in Jordan.
