As a graduate of the French military academy he had a rapid career, and in 1965 Odingar, with the grade of Major, took the post as commander of the Chadian Armed Forces (FAT), a choice that strengthened Sara dominance of the government.
As a result, President François Tombalbaye asked France to send troops to help defeat the rebels; the only ones who opposed themselves, in vain, to this decision, were Minister Bangui and Colonel Odingar, who objected that the project would indicate Chad's suzerainty.
Great discontent was brewing in the army's ranks: in the last two years Tombalbaye's action had become more and more erratic, and in 1973 he had thrown in jail the FAT's commander-general Félix Malloum.
There was no other resistance: already at 6:30 am Odingar had spoken to the radio announcing the armed forces had "exercised their responsibilities before God and the nation" while the capital's population poured into the streets to celebrate the death of Tombalbaye.
In the meanwhile Odingar, acting as interim commander and head of state, sealed off all roads to the capital and imposed a curfew on the city.