Young officers from tricity to shine at R-Day parade

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 24

Young officers from the tricity will shine at this year’s Republic Day parade on Rajpath in Delhi, with three, including a woman, leading marching contingents of the Army.

Capt Preeti Choudhary from Army Air Defence is commanding the upgraded Schilika anti-aircraft weapon system that is being featured at the parade for the first time.

A former cadet of No.1 Chandigarh NCC Air Squadron and an alumnus of the Government College for Girls, she was awarded the coveted Sword of Honour on passing out from the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, in 2018. In fact, this is the second time she is marching down Rajpath on Republic Day, the earlier occasion being as an NCC cadet in 2016. She had then been adjudged the second best air wing cadet across the country.

Capt Vibhor Gulati from Mohali is leading the artillery’s Pinaka multiple launch rocket system. An engineering graduate, he had joined the Army after a brief career as data scientist in Bengaluru.

He is at present posted at 841 Rocket Regiment that had been raised as the 84 Counter Bombardment Regiment in 1963 at Ambala. Later equipped with mortars and having been deployed along the Line of Control to counter ceasefire violations, it was converted into a rocket regiment in April 2020.

Capt Karanveer Singh Bhangoo of 54 Armoured Regiment, who belongs to Panchkula, is leading the T-90 tank contingent. He had been motivated to join the Army by his grandfather, Major Gurmel Singh (retd), who served with the 3rd Battalion of the Grenadiers.