Reaching for the sky: Haryana, Punjab IAF cadets pass out with flying colours

Tribune News Service

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, December 17

Cadets from Haryana and Punjab touched the sky with glory at the Air Force Academy (AFA), not only topping the “flying” as well as the “ground duty” streams in the batch that was commissioned as IAF officers on Sunday but also carrying forward their family legacy.

Flying Officer Atul Prakash from the flying branch won the President’s Plaque and Chief of the Air Staff Sword of Honour for standing first in the Order of Merit in the Pilots Course and being adjudged as the overall best cadet, while Flying Officer Amrinder Jit Singh of the accounts branch was awarded the President’s Plaque for standing overall first among the ground duty branches.

Hailing from Jind in Haryana, Flying Officer Atul Prakash is an alumnus of Military School, Belagavi. Carrying forward the legacy of a military family, this second-generation officer proved his mettle by taking on challenging roles and responsibilities, according to AFA officers. They described him as “a born leader full of courage and conviction” and performing to the highest standards of training. For Punjab’s Flying Officer Amrinder Jit Singh, it has been a journey of grit and determination to succeed. From serving as an airman for 16 years to being the topper among the cadets much younger to him. At 36 years, he has proved that age is just a number. The Combined Graduation Parade at the AFA in Dundigal, near Hyderabad, witnessed the culmination of training of 213 Flight Cadets, including 25 women, from various branches of the Air Force. Eight officers from the Indian Navy, nine from the Indian Coast Guard and two from friendly countries also passed out alongside.

The parade was reviewed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who awarded the newly commissioned officers their shoulder stripes denoting the rank of Flying Officer, and also pinned wings and brevets on those from the fying branch. Among them was Flying Officer Mewa Singh, who is “following his family legacy and fulfilling a dream”. A third-generation soldier and the first officer from his village near Bathinda in Punjab, his grandfather had fought in World War II and his uncle had served in the Army.

For Flying Officer Lata Kaushik, who became the first commissioned Air Force officer from her village near Jhajjar in Haryana, it has been all about “patience and perseverance”. After failing to enter the academy in an earlier attempt, she secured the 2nd all-India rank this time.

Flying Officer Ryan Henriques received the “best in flying” trophy, while Flying Officer Tanya Singh was declared the best in navigation. Flying Officer Shubham Sharma was adjudged the best in administration branch and Flying Officer Ashish Kumar the best in logistics branch.

In his address, Rajnath stressed that striking a balance between tradition and innovation to keep pace with constantly evolving times was crucial. While asking officers to give due importance to tradition in the Armed Forces, terming it as time-tested, he also pointed out that if tradition was followed for a long time without thinking then a state of inertia or ossification occurred in the system, a situation that needed to be avoided.

“If we follow only tradition, we will be like a dead lake. We need to be like a flowing river. For that, we will have to bring in innovation along with tradition. Keep flying and touch greater heights, but maintain your connection with the ground,” he said. “Don’t lose your openness to new thinking, new ideas and your idealism under any circumstances,” the Defence Minister asserted.

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