Indian Army News & Discussions

[ayesha.a]

@levina @Koovie @COLDHEARTED AVIATOR @bloo @ito @hkdas @DIRECT ACTION @Capt.Popeye @Guynextdoor2 @Hindustani78 @hinduguy @IndoCarib @Indo-guy @Tshering22 @waz @sancho @nair @Span @Kinetic @Bang Galore @ayesha.a @Unknowncommando @SrNair @AUSTERLITZ

@Abingdonboy , an inspirational story. She indeed is a wife anyone would be proud of, if they were in Major Verma's shoes, RIP.

In the Indian army, it is a common desire among many jawans that their sons should become officers - they yearn for that out of paternal pride. When they get to say "Mera beta afsar ban gaya.", is one of the proudest moments for them. This holds in some police forces as well.

But last year, for the first time in the IA's history, the wife of a jawan achieved this feat - and that too, just months after her husband's martyrdom. (Lt Priya Semwal, wife of shaheed Naik Amit Sharma). She metaphorically plucked the rifle out of her husband's funeral pyre, and answered the call of the nation. This is her, with her daughter:

It is encouraging to note that war widows these days are no longer contend to be ceremonial "Veer Naari"s - a dubious title bestowed upon them upon their husbands' deaths in the line of duty - but are now actually earning that title by joining the forces.

Fallen jawan’s wife turns lieutenant - The Hindu

This is an article about the present case:

Army widow turns battle-ready officer - The Times of India

Army widow turns battle-ready officer - The Times of India



CHENNAI: As an Army officer's wife, Ruchi Verma had a peaceful life till 2013 when her husband Major Vineet Verma died in action in the insurgency-hit Balipara, Assam.

The 'veer nari' title given to army widows wasn't enough for Verma: She stepped out of the comforts of her home and virtually took over her husband's duty to the nation, enrolling herself at the Officer's Training Academy, Chennai last year. On Saturday, Verma, 24, was among the 185 cadets of OTA who were formally inducted as officers of the Indian Army.

"My life has turned upside down since I joined the training academy," said Ruchi, who hopes her five-year old son Akshat Verma will join the Army someday. "I always liked being an officer's lady," she said, after the piping ceremony where she was commissioned as Lt Ruchi Verma.

"When Vineet was alive, I had a comfortable life. Servants always carried my bags. I travelled by car for even a distance of 100m. And then, as my training started, I had to run, carrying heavy weaponry," she said.

Ruchi had to crop her long tresses for the training. When it comes to hard, rigorous training, women are treated as equals to men here in the training academy, said the lady officer. "My legs ached and it became very difficult to run during the first six months of the training. But I wanted to face it, fight it and finish it. I feel fitter and ready for battle now," she said.

Ruchi's husband Vineet Verma, who joined the Army in 2006, became a Major in 2009. Since then he had been posted in field areas (line of control) all around the country. He laid down his life after seven years in service.

A native of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, Ruchi met Vineet, from Allahabad, after their marriage was arranged by elders. "He was committed to the service and I want to take the good work forward," she said. Their son Akshat who is to join class 1 is looked after by Ruchi's mother.

Earlier, with her husband:

 

[Major Shaitan Singh]

Rare pic from 1962 war shows soldiers near Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh.

 

[Hindustani78]

The Chief of Army Staff, General Dalbir Singh with the Indian Army Everest Massif expedition members, at the Flag-off ceremony, in New Delhi on April, 01, 2015.

 

[Hindustani78]

The COAS, Bangladesh Army, Gen. Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan meeting the Chief of Army Staff, General Dalbir Singh, in New Delhi on April 01, 2015.

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh at the Sainik Sammelan of Border Security Force, at Angrail Border Out Post in North 24 Paraganas of West Bengal, on April 01, 2015.

 

[Hindustani78]

Lady cadet from Navi Mumbai gets Sword of Honour
Navi Mumbai: March 30, 2015, DHNS

A lady cadet from Navi Mumbai brought pride to the satellite town by winning a rare honour at the Indian Army Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai.

Lieutenant M Anjana, who hails from the satellite township, recently achieved the rare distinction of being the first lady cadet to secure both Gold Medal and the coveted Sword of Honour in the combined course of Short Service Commission 99 and Short Service Commission (Women) 13 courses at OTA. The gold medal is received for the officer who is first in the over-all order of merit and Sword of Honour is given to the best all round cadet of the passing out course.

The combined course comprised of 185 cadets --140 gentlemen, 39 ladies and 6 foreigners. The curriculum is a combination of academic and physical fitness.

Captain Divya Ajith is the first lady cadet to get the Sword of Honour in the year 2010 during the passing out of SSC(W) 04.

As a cadet, Lieutenant Anjana led the passing out parade at OTA on March 14-15, and was also awarded a Commendation by Lieutenant General Sanjeev Madhok, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Army Training Command.

The officer is a resident of Vashi, Navi Mumbai and did her schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghatan. She has graduated from Government Law College, Mumbai with the outstanding student award in the final year.

 

[Levina]

@Abingdonboy
seen?

 

[Hindustani78]

Srinagar | Apr 04, 2015
Four Army Men Killed, Another Missing in Avalanche
Four Army personnel were killed and another went missing after an avalanche hit their vehicle in frontier Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, a defence spokesman said today.

Avalanche hit an Army vehicle at remote Changla village in Leh district yesterday, trapping five soldiers travelling in it, spokesman of Army's northern command Col S D Goswami said.

He said rescue teams immediately swung into action and recovered bodies of two soldiers while two others were rescued in a critical condition.

The rescued soldiers later succumbed, he said adding another soldier was still missing.

 

[Abingdonboy]

@Abingdonboy
seen?

I have now

Lol, I have seen it before, it is a nice compilation of a lot of videos on the IA from the past few years

 

[Hindustani78]

Soldiers of Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) perform during a passing out parade in Jamnagar on Saturday

 

[Hindustani78]

The Chief of Army Staff, General Dalbir Singh presenting the President’s Colours to 21 Madras Battalions of the Madras Regiment, in Tamil Nadu on April 05, 2015.

The Chief of Army Staff, General Dalbir Singh presenting the President’s Colours to 20 Madras Battalions of the Madras Regiment, in Tamil Nadu on April 05, 2015.

 

[third eye]

 

[Abingdonboy]

 

[Hindustani78]

Updated: April 8, 2015 05:41 IST
Soldier cremated - The Hindu

The mortal remains of Anmol Pratap Singh, who was among the two soldiers killed in an avalanche in Chang La pass in Ladakh, were on Tuesday consigned to flames with full military honours at his native village in Kanpur district, the police said.

According to Additional City Magistrate (First) Yogendra Kumar, the body was flown to Lucknow’s Amausi airport on Monday night where he was given the customary Guard of Honour and brought to his ancestral place in Yogendra Vihar in Naubasta area here.

His family, relatives, city administration officials and several political leaders paid their last respects, the ACM said. . - PTI

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
08-April, 2015 17:19 IST
240th Army Ordnance Corps Day on 08 Apr 2015

On the occasion of the 240th Army Ordnance Corps Day, Lt Gen Amit Sarin, Director General of Ordnance Services (DG OS) and Senior Colonel Commandant of the Corps paid homage to martyrs of the Indian Army at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate, New Delhi. The ceremony was attended by the serving Officers/JCOs & Other Ranks of the Army Ordnance Corps. The Director General while remembering the glorious history of the Corps, emphasized on the need to have highest professional acumen and dedication to the duty to ensure uninterrupted logistic support to the Indian Army, both in war and peace.

The Director General of Ordnance Services (DG OS) and Senior Colonel Commandant of the Corps, Lt. Gen. Amit Sarin paying homage to martyrs, on the occasion of the 240th Army Ordnance Corps Day, at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, in New Delhi on April 08, 2015.

 

[Odysseus]

More Men or Better Technology? Government Rethinking Strategy to Counter China: Sources

India is said to be re-thinking a decision made two years ago to raise a mountain strike corps to guard the hilly northern borders with China. Sources said the government is now weighing whether it will make more sense to invest in better technology rather than raise an 80,000 strong force at considerable expense.The Manmohan Singh government of the Congress had hastily cleared the raising of the corp after repeated transgression by Chinese troops in Ladakh in 2013, one of which lasted for over a month. The Mountain Strike Corps, or the Panagarh based 17 Corps, would add on about 80,000 men at a cost of Rs 64000 crore to be spent over eight years.The corps headquarters have come up at Panagarh in West Bengal; a few battalions have come up as well.For the last two years, no separate funds have been allocated to the Indian Army to raise the corps and neither has border infrastructure been built to house troops. The Indian Army has been forced use war reserves to raise and equip the corps.Sources told NDTV that plans to reposition troops in the northern command were put on hold temporarily because the existing infrastructure was found to be "incapable of absorbing more troops.""Are we preparing for wars of the past or wars of future? Wars of the future will depend on disruptive technologies. The emphasis should be modern means of combat and not bayonet to bayonet or muzzle to muzzle war," Major General (retd) B K Sharma, who heads Centre for Strategic Studies at the United Services Institute told NDTV.The Chief of Integrated Defence Staff and the National Security Council Secretariat have asked the government whether it wants a huge army or then a small but smart army with a focus on technology and non-contact fighting capabilities.Besides, questions have also been raised about the huge cost by way of salaries and pensions, for the Indian Army. Already, manpower accounts for nearly 90 per cent of the Army's budget."Going by the average budget allocations, there may come a time when the Army finds itself unable to set aside money for capital expenditure, therefore, force accretion should be thought through," a top Defence Ministry official told NDTV.

More Men or Better Technology? Government Rethinking Strategy to Counter China: Sources - NDTV