armed forces 2017.pmd 189 30-03-2017, 15:51 T H E A R M E D F O R C E S ARMY Largest land exercise Exercise Force 18, the largest ground forces exercise conducted in India began at Aundh Military Station, Pune on March 2, 2016. There were troops from ASEAN Plus countries and Japan, Russia, United States of America, China and South Korea. The troops were trained by 28 foreign trainers who had been trained by the Indian army from Feb 24 to March 1. They, in turn, trained their troops in the exercise that went on till 8 March. Visiting participants were shown martial skills of Indian troops including a drill by soldiers of Mechanised Infantry Regimental Centre. The Indian contingent of 40 soldiers was led by Lt Col Sophia Qureshi of the Corps of Signals. First strike across LOC Early on Sept 29, 2016, Indian para commandos struck seven terrorist camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir beyond the Line of Control. This followed an attack by militants on an Indian Army establishment at Uri, killing 20 soldiers. India has always followed a defensive policy. Since India considers PoK a part of the country, this was officially not an attack on another country but an attack on terrorists on Indian soil. At least two Pakistani soldiers were killed while India suffered no casualties. First woman to lead Army training contingent Lt Col Sophia Qureshi of the Corps of Signals led the Indian training contingent at Exercise Force 18 held from March 2 - 8, 2016 at Pune. She was also the only woman officer to command a contingent at the exercise. She is the third generation of soldiers in her family and she has been a member of the United Nations peacekeeping missions. Only non-human Havildar During India’s 1965 war with Pakistan, one Indian battalion was trapped in the midst of an area full of killer land mines and began to pray to Jwala Devi. The troops noticed a goat walking through the mine field and reaching the other side safe. The grateful soldiers believed their prayers were answered. They took the goat with them, named him Mastana and he was given senior rank of Havildar. When the original Mastana died, he was replaced with another. The tradition continues. LIMCA BOOK OF RECORDS 2017 1 9 0 armed forces 2017.pmd 190 30-03-2017, 15:54 T H E A R M E D F O R C E S Assam Regiment celebrates platinum jubilee The Assam Regiment raised on June 15, 1941 celebrated its 75th Raising Day or Platinum Jubilee at Shimla on June 15, 2016 releasing a First Day Cover. It has 22 battalions, all only from the north- eastern states. The regiment’s emblem is rhinoceros and the troops proudly call themselves rhinos. The battle cry is, “Rhino, charge!” Grateful and proud of its martyrs, the marching song of the regiment is Badlu Ram ka badan, in memory of the late Badlu Ram. It is one of the few units in the world to have won six Battle Honours — Jessami, Aradura and Kohima (Nagaland), Mawlaik, Kyaukmyaung and Toungoo (Burma/Myanmar) and one Theatre Award, all within three years of its raising. Her master’s voice Mansi, a four-year-old Labrador Retriever of the Army’s Remount and Veterinary Corps and her handler Bashir Ahmad War (from tracker 188 years of Indian artillery dog unit of 160 Territorial Army) were shot The Regiment of Artillery (RA) completed 188 down by infiltrators trying to cross over the years and celebrated the 189th Gunners’ Day on Line of Control in the Kupwara region from Sept 28, 2016. Now the second-largest Arm of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir August 8, 2015. the Army, after the Infantry, RA was raised on that That night, Mansi sensed movement in the day with the first Indian Artillery Unit, 5 (Bombay) forests, pulled War towards the area. Mansi Mountain Battery. The Regiment has been an started barking and the militants found her integral part of all major operations in India location and shot her. including 1947-48, 1962, 1965, 1971 and the Bashir who treated her like his child opened 1999 Kargil wars. fire to avenge Mansi’s death but was shot. War was laid to rest in his village in Kupwara. Mansi was buried in Trehgam, Kashmir. LIMCA BOOK OF RECORDS 2017 1 9 1 armed forces 2017.pmd 191 30-03-2017, 15:54 T H E A R M E D F O R C E S Highest Army training school High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir trains specially chosen troops in the hazards of the terrain. A part of their training is to carry at least 25 kg weight while they patrol the icy heights. They also rescue trapped people using normal shovels, ropes, snow bars and axes to technologically detectors to search for people buried under several feet of snow. Among work hazards are avalanches and health issues like frostbite and High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema (HAPO). They construct igloos and snow caves to take shelter in during emergencies. Each shelter can hold 10 soldiers who even cook inside their temporary home. A name for a number There are about 80 Army Transport (AT) companies and mules work in war and peace, carrying stores and ammunition, transport casualties to military hospitals in inhospitable areas. Mules are known by the hoof number, not by name. Hoof number 15328 was special. Born in 1960, she joined the Army on May 4, 1962, among the first batch in her unit. In 1987, Maj Chunni Lal Sharma, Officer Commanding, 853 AT Company ASC (Mountain Artillery Mules), was surprised that No 15328 was a 29-year-old and still working! Moreover, she was still happy to do her duty and travel up to high altitude areas of 17,000 ft. Her loyalty was recognised by Major Sharma who named her the Company Mascot and printed her photograph on the Company’s greeting card at the end of 1989. In 1992, hoof 15328 was sent to New Delhi where she was named Pedongi and presented a blue velvet ceremonial rug by Col Girdhari Singh. Number 15328, the longest serving military mule, died peacefully in Bareilly on March 25, 1998. Sikh honour in Straffordshire A memorial was unveiled at National Memorial Arboretum, Straffordshire, England on Feb 24, 2016. The memorial honours 1,30,000 Sikh soldiers of World War I, who made up a fifth of the British Indian Army in the Great War because Great Britain did not have enough troops. Floated by the WWI Sikh Memorial Fund, it was unveiled with a Sikh prayer and a minute’s silence in honour of those who fought for Great Britain. LIMCA BOOK OF RECORDS 2017 1 9 2 armed forces 2017.pmd 192 30-03-2017, 16:29 T H E A R M E D F O R C E S Dog squad in Republic Day parade The 67th Republic Day parade in 2016 in New Delhi included a squad of 36 Army dogs – 24 Labrador Retrievers and 12 German Shepherds. The dog squad last participated in the 1990 parade. Chosen from about 1,200 dogs trained in explosive and mine detection, tracking, assault, patrolling and guard duty, the all-male dog squad underwent intensive training for four months to get them accustomed to the heightened noise level on Raj Path. They wore specially designed and tailored capes with their regimental colours of maroon and gold. Army dogs have won one Shourya Chakra, six Sena Medals, 142 Chief of Army Staff Commendation Cards, six Vice Chief Of Army Staff Commendation Cards and 448 General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Commendation Cards! A soldier never retires Brig KG Pitre, who lives in Pune, proved that ‘a soldier never retires’ when he went paragliding at the age of 93 in January 2016. Brig Pitre, who was commissioned into the Army in August 1944 did the 15-day basic para jumping course in Rawalpindi, then a part of undivided India. He had to give up para jumping in 1952 when a smoke grenade burst in his right hand during training. After retirement, Brig Pitre did a Master’s in History from Fergusson College and then a PhD in military history. He was the Commanding Officer of the legendary 5 Para Regiment which he raised in Kota. At the 54th anniversary of 5 Para in January 2016, he went paragliding at Agra and described it as fun! Brig Pitre was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) for contributions during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. First foreign contingent at Republic Day functions, the customary marching contingent of parade ex-servicemen (ESM) at the Republic Day parade A 76-member contingent marched to martial 2016 was scrapped. Instead, there was a tableau music played by Music of the Infantry, a French titled Veterans in Nation Building. It projected military band of 48 musicians on Jan 26, 2016, their contribution to society after retirement. Republic Day. As chief guest Francois Hollande, President of France watched, Lt Col Paul Bury of Home for veterans the French 35th Infantry Regiment 7th Armoured Ashray, in Panchkula, Haryana is a home for army Brigade led troops of his battalion saluting the veterans who have no one to take care of them. President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. Raised in Inaugurated by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar 1604 in Lorraine, France, the regiment has 12 Lal Khattar and Army chief General Dalbir Singh battle honours from combat experiences in Suhag, it has 60 units, a gym, a Mess and a bar Algeria, Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan.