Daughter of martyr to join IAF hospital as Lieutenant
Carrying forward her family’s tradition of military service, Rachna, the daughter of an Army martyr, has earned the commission in the Indian Air Force. She will be joining as Lieutenant in the Indian Air Force Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Rachna followed in the footsteps of her father and grandfather, both of whom served in the Army. She wanted to join the defence forces to fulfil the dream of her father Surjit Singh who was killed in action during Operation Rakshak in Jammu and Kashmir in 2007.
Mother’s struggle
Rachna was a child studying in school when she received the news of her father’s martyrdom. The family was devastated by the irretrievable loss. Besides emotional trauma, the family also faced financial hardships as Rachna’s mother was a homemaker. Her mother faced hard times, raised Rachna and her brother all by herself.
The struggle only strengthened her resolve to join the defence services. However, she had no idea on how to get into the services, until she joined M.Sc Nursing course at Shivalik Institute of Nursing, Shimla. While pursuing her post-graduation, Rachna came to know that many passouts from the institute had joined the Army after completing the course. She put in a lot of hard work to clear M.Sc exam with distinction and went on clear the Military Nursing Services Examination. She gives credit for her success to her mother who braved all odds. She says her achievement was an honour to the sacrifice made by his father for the country.
