THREE COMMANDS DISCUSS JOINT TARGETS

In a important step towards jointness, a joint training review conference, involving two Commands of the Army- Western, South Western- and Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force, concluded at Chandimandir yesterday.

The war game was attended by a wide cross-section of high ranking officers and observers from participating formations, as also from the Army HQs, the neighboring Northern and Southern Commands, Army Training Command and Army War College, where tactical, operational and strategic concepts are evolved and refined.

The primary aim of the conference and brainstorming session was to synergise the operational philosophy amongst the land and air forces for the integrated air-land battle in various sectors, synergise their training requirements and validate certain important issues of the transformation of the Indian Army into a networked force.

In the current year Western Command has conducted two major training exercises with troops, involving the Army and Air force. The first exercise VIJAYEE BHAVA was held in Rajasthan in May 2011, followed by PINE PRAHAR, held in Punjab in June 2011.

It was in this context that the joint review was held in Chandimandir over five days. In the course of this review, the participants also discussed various contemporary issues, notably joint targeting plans and transformation synergy between theatres.

THEY ALSO SERVE

The Mausam lead pair, Shahid Kapur and Sonam Kapoor, were in Air Force Station, Chandigarh, the other day to promote their latest film. Based on the Indian Air Force and shot at various air force stations in the country the movie has Shahid essaying the role of a pilot who flies Mirage-2000 aircraft. As expected there is a romantic angle to the movie but that is something which need not be discussed in Reveille.

Any positive portrayal of our defence services is welcome. Anything which brings forth the dedication and devotion of our men and women in uniform, and which motivates youngsters to join the services is indeed the need of the day. Flying is a glamourous profession, and dangerous to say the least, and it is no surprise, therefore, that movies capitalise on this twin attraction when they choose the role to be played by the main lead of the movie.

There are commercial concerns when a movie of this nature is produced and one cannot expect it to provide a 360 degree view of the life in IAF. But I have often wondered why we never see the television or print media focus on the other branches of the air force who too play a major role in the defence of the country. The branches which ensure that the pilots who fly the sorties are able to do so in full safety and with full back-up.

I intended to do so several times, but have, unfortunately not been able to beat the red tape. In fact, I tried thrice in past two years and have failed on each time. And not because of some bureaucrat sitting in South Block. But because of a obstinate Group Captain sitting in Vayu Bhavan. Anyway that is another story.

What we need to see on the screen is not only the swash buckling presence of a fighter pilot in flying overalls or a G-suit but also the men and women who remain behind the scenes, unseen. Those who maintain the aircraft, keep them flying fit, and ultimately sign the crucial form which allows the aircraft to be taken to air. The men and women in the ATC or the fighter controllers who normally just get a split second or two in the footage in any movie featuring the IAF. They deserve more then that because they do a lot. They are our heroes too. I remember reading a quote, "True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others, at whatever cost".

The Met branch, the armaments section, the flight safety wallahs, the logistics squadron, the missile squadron the accounts and education branches. There are many more, which I may miss out in mentioning but what I intend to say comes out loud and clear. They are not just filling the blanks. They perform an important task. And their need for recognition must be acknowledged. They are not going to say so in these many words, they are not going to ask for publicity.....they don't need it. But we, in the media or in the film industry, owe it to them.

This can only happen if the media attempts to do such stories. For example, a perfectly good story can be made on how the transport aircraft of the Chandigarh Air Force Station are kept in perfect flying condition by the technical officers and men. These aircraft are a lifeline to our troops in ladakh. How this lifeline is kept well-oiled and functioning can make for a good story.

I am quite sure someday we in the media will think in this direction and that may provoke the film industry to make a film showing the exploits of the IAF like the ones made in the West......Saving Private Ryan, Pacific, Thin Red Line etc. And then, the canvass will be wide enough to portray a complete IAF ......

And though we may get disheartened by the mindless opposition to such projects by stuffy Group Captains sitting in Air HQs, we must not lose hope..... and keep on trying. As I will do.....for the fourth time.

CHANGES IN ARMY AFTER JAN LOKPAL BILL

Courtesey Virendra Singh:

Changes at Regt Level:-

(a) All offrs especially COs and above will use only one Sahayak that also only for making offrs uniform.

(b) The CO Memsahib will return the mess cook back to the regtl mess and will start cooking, washing.

(c) The garden will be manicured by the offr and memsahib

(d) The regt fund acct will be audited by the LAO

(e) No CSD profit will be taken to the regt fund/ mess fund. The rules of percentage written by the stupid British will be changed and the old regt fund rules will be burnt at Ramleela Maidan after Anna vacates it.

(f) COs/ offrs will return all the regt properties like Tv, fridge, and cutlery back to unit.

(g) All offrs taking tpt allce will not use mil veh for conveyance from residence.

(h) Offrs who have unknowingly taken tpt allowance and used conveyance will repent and will make a draft of the amount illegally taken by them and will give the cheque to Anna at Ramlila grnd.

(i) No veh will be modified. If at all a veh is to be modified offr will pay it from the pocket and will not use regt fund.

(j) COs will not use Acs in the office. It is not auth and we will not use it.

(k) If we use it at home we will connect it only through a meter and will never send a JCO with rum bottle to MES.

Changes at Bde and above:-

(a) All att vehs and pers will be detached immediately. We will live with WE auth and will fight with stupid IAS baboos to change the WE.

(b) If IAS lobby do not listen to us we will org a Darna at Ramlila Maidan and sort them out. Few from “ WE GNRS” who are specially qualified sorting out IAS baboos and their help will be solicited.

(c) For regt reunions the tickets for the Sahib and Memsahib will be paid by the offr himself. If any Bania offers to do that he will be shot.

(d) Brigs and above when visiting any station will not stay in hotels. They will stay in the mess guest rooms and will dine with the mess members.If forced to stay in a hotel offr will settle the bill directly with the hotel.

(e) Offrs will pay the mess bill in reality and not with a cosmetic touch.

(f) Brigs and above traveling by air will not expect a capt/maj to come to air port and bribe people and get the VIP launch opened. It is

authorized only for army cdrs and above (not even DGs) and we will satisfy with what is authorized for lesser mortals. (g) No senior offr will take rations directly from sup. We are all Anna’s soldiers and will be truthful and will get the normal rations from QM store.

(h) Chicken for the parties will be purchased and will not be adjusted in the rations.

(i) The present day culture of having ASC/AOC/EME COs more close to the General ship will stop. The fighting unit COs will always get love , affection and priority.

(j) The GE will be shown his way.

(k) If Italian marble is required for the toilets the offr will pay for it.

(l) Offrs with genetic “Italian” hatred will use Indian marble.

(m) Guest room toiletries will not be stolen. If any items are used we will pay for it.

(n) The sanitary napkin placed in the room will be used only if the lady requires it in an emergency. We will not carry it home for the daughter or grand daughter.

(o) The Maj Gens will accept JCO LO and the practice of detailing local staff offr( Honorable Batman to Memsahib) will stop immediately

ARMY'S DOUBLE STANDARDS ON WITHHOLDING PROMOTIONS

When the Adarsh scam came to light, and there was great dirt flying about, most of it directed in the direction of the Army's top brass, serving as well as retired, the Army went into damage control mode. And quite rightly so. It was the need of the hour to save it's reputation and the COAS himself gave went to his anguish over the fact that the highest office of the service too was under the scanner.

Accordingly a Court of Inquiry was ordered to probe into the affairs relating to the Adarsh scam and the principal officer facing the brunt of the inquiry was Maj Gen RK Hooda who was the latest officer to have demitted the office of GOC MG & G Area and was now serving in Army HQs. He was approved for the rank of Lt Gen, but because he was facing a Court of Inquiry he was put under a Discipline and Vigilance (DV) ban and his promotion put on hold. All this was perfectly by the book and this was how things happened.

In due course the inquiry got completed but in the meantime, Maj Gen Hooda attained his age of superannuation and had to retire from the service in the same rank. The Army Chief has recently made some statement in Poona regarding the culpability of Maj Gen Hooda fixed by the inquiry but that is not the crux of our story.

What we need to focus on is that in yet another case involving a Maj Gen, the Army did not follow the rules and in fact let him get away virtually scot free to his next rank.

Lt Gen SA Cruz was serving in the rank of Maj Gen in HQs Western Command in Chandimandir as MG (Medical) when a Court of Inquiry was ordered against him by HQs Bengal Area. The genesis of this inquiry lies in days when the General officer was commanding a military hospital in Panagarh and the allegation of private practice levelled against some of his subordinate doctors. Now, after a stay in the high court had been vacated and the two officers court martialled, evidence had come forth incriminating the General and so, to investigate the allegations and give him a fair chance of defending himself, the Army ordered a Court of Inquiry against him.

The General, like Maj Gen Hooda, was approved for the rank of Lt Gen but in his case, no DV ban was put on his promotion. He was allowed to pick up his rank in complete disregard of rules and precedence and today he is serving as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Medical) in New Delhi.

I am told this this is not an isolated case in the Army where rules are bent to favour a few. There are enough examples which go on to show how some officers manage to get away while others suffer. Why this happens is not known. I had sent a query to the Army but they did not bother to reply.

And so while the Army goes about boasting about how the General found partially guilty in the Adarsh Court of Inquiry has been punished by not allowing him to pick up his next rank, it is conveniently not addressing why yet another General facing an inquiry has been allowed to get promoted.

Silence is not going to make the questions go away.

WHEN COMMON SENSE APPEARS TO BE UNCOMMON

It would have been hilarious had it not been so infuriatingly stupid. The story which I am about to recount shows how certain officers in our Army, right through the spectrum of seniority, are not only ignorant of military laws but are also brazen enough to go about showing it for all to see. Not realising, therefore, that the times are changing and the average Jawan is not a class 5 pass out anymore.

As you will make out by seeing the accompanying documents, this story is about Sapper Lenin Chakraborty, serving in a engineering regiment, who was put through a summary trial and sentenced to 14 days RI for taking part in auditions of 'Indian Idol' while he was on leave.

There are some Army instructions on taking part in reality shows on television and it was quite evident that the Sapper would have to be disciplined for not having informed his superiors and taken their permission before embarking in the talent contest.

However, in an act which can be called a 'legal suicide', the unit of the jawan first punished him without specifying the exact law which he had violated, thus giving him an opportunity to go to the Armed Forces Tribunal in appeal. Then, it proceeded to tie itself in more knots by writing a letter to the Jawan warning him about his seeking legal redress without permission for superior officers and then directing him to withdraw the petition within a specified period of time.

That such an order is illegal in the eyes of the law goes without saying.

Perturbed by the punishment meted out to him, and perceiving it to be wrong, Sapper lenin, wrote to the Colonel Commandant of Bengal Sappers, Lt Gen Gautam Bannerjee, for redressal of his grievances. Now, this gave an opportunity for Lt Gen Bannerjee to give a piece of his mind to the young soldier on matters of military discipline and the cardinal mistake that he had done by writing to a senior officer.

Then he compounded the matters by pointing out that Sapper had been punished for his "arrogant behaviour" and that he "indicated signs of being AWL (absent without leave) while on leave". Now that is as good as it could get for the legal remedy available to the erring Sapper. Arrogant behaviour can hardly be a cause for a Summary Court Martial and the law would be hard pressed to find a clause in the Manual of Indian Military Law which permits court martial of a jawan for "indicating signs of being AWL while on leave".

Not surprisingly the Sapper seems to be getting some sympathy from the tribunal and the Army is on the receiving end.

What all this brings to fore is the fact that military officers are quite ignorant of law. And in the changing environment where recruits are graduates if not post-graduates, especially in technical arms and services, such ignorant officers end up harming the service rather then helping in imposition of discipline.

The case of Sapper Lenin Chakravarthy should serve as an example for all those who take such cases lightly. In fact, it should be made into a precis and disseminated to all units so that the Commanding Officers can learn what not to do in a situation like this.

WHO GIVES A DAMN ABOUT LAW?

Frankly, it was quite expected. HQs Western Command has not replied to a RTI application filed by me asking how and why has the vehicle registration plate been removed from the staff cars of the GOC-in-C and replaced by a plate saying WESTCOM 1 and WESTCOM 2 respectively.

I would certainly be taking the application to the logical conclusion and will exhaust every means available to eclicit a response, but that is besides the point. The moot point is why should the official car of the Army Commander be adorned with such a plate in utter and complete contravention of law? Is this going to percolate down the chain of command? Are we going to have Corps Commanders too going around with KHARGA 1, WHITE KNIGHTS 1 and Divisional Commanders going around with BLACK ELEPHANT 1, ACE OF SPADES 1, COCKEREL 1 and what not?

There are flags, star plates and pennants which adorn vehicles of officers of flag rank. These are meant to inform the observer about the rank and position of the officer travelling in it so that suitable compliments can be paid. What else is needed? The Army Commanders vehicle already has a very distinct flag with Ashoka emblem, three stars and formation sign on it apart from the star plate which has three stars on it. If someone still does not recognise the vehicle then clearly something is wrong with his or her eyesight and adorning the vehicle with WESTCOM 1 is not going to help.

Next, some eccentric commander would want to have stars on the sides of the vehicle also because there are no such distinctive feature there. And not to forget the top of the car AND the bottom for whoever is looking!

Surely there are more important things which should be occupying the mind of a formation commander then just adorning his vehicle with heraldry?

There have been some examples of funny displays in days of yore. But those have not been in any violation of law. There was one Brigade Commander who used to have the star plate displayed on the forehead of his horse when he went riding. Another Brigadier I know had a Jawan running after his horse bearing his pennant! Having a star plate on the golf cart is not even worth discussing here, it is so common.

But violating the Motor Vehicle Act is something else. No one has the right to so that. These staff cars bearing WESTCOM 1 and WESTCOM 2 should be challaned by the traffic police as they break the law with impunity. The Panchkula Police and the Chandigarh Police will soon have to answer some uncomfortable questions even if the Western Command chooses to remain silent. The media will be on the lookout.

PHOTOGRAPHS OF EXERCISE PINE PRAHAAR TAKING PLACE IN PUNJAB