VSM (Gallantry) for Nagpur lad Wg Cdr Sumedh Jamkar
| Date :26-Jan-2023 |
Staff Reporter
The Republic Day eve brought another reason to celebrate for the city as the news came of award of the prestigious Vayu Sena Medal (VSM) for gallantry to Nagpur lad Wg Cdr Sumedh Ashok Jamkar. The Indian Air Force (IAF) officer is posted as Flight Commander of a Helicopter Unit equipped with Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv.
Wg Cdr Sumedh Jamkar is son of Ashok Jamkar, who retired from the Coal India Limited, and stays in Nagpur. The young officer is ex-cadet of Prahar Samaj Jagruti Sanstha. His brother also is in the IAF. As per the official announcement ofVSM (Gallantry), Wg Cdr Sumedh Jamkar is being awarded the medal for the act of ‘exceptional gallantry and courage’.
As per the details, when torrential rains affected Uttarakhand on October 19, 2021, Wg Cdr Sumedh Jamkar was tasked to position one ALH at Gauchar for disaster relief operations. The next day, Uttarakhand Government called upon the IAF for immediate search and rescue of a missing seven-member mountaineering team on expedition to Kilar (Himachal Pradesh) from Harsil via Lamkhaga Pass.
With ‘negligible information available’ and aware that no unit aircrew had ever operated in the search area, Wg Cdr Sumedh Jamkar volunteered and got airborne from Pantnagar in marginal weather with two State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) crew. The search necessitated sustained operations at extreme high altitude in unfamiliar and inhospitable terrain with limited turn radius available. Unmindful of the operating risks in afternoon hours at such an extreme altitude and in marginal weather, he relentlessly continued search till 4 pm until heavy snowfall impeded operations.
“Undeterred and resilient, the next day he got airborne at first light again. His contour study enabled him to earmark four probable sites, all covered with fresh snow on high gradient slopes. He sighted a tent adjacent to the second ledge at 17,300 feet. Displaying true grit and valour, he made a decision to land on the ledge. Countering snow bowl conditions due to gusty winds and leaving no margin for error, he maintained the centre of gravity of the aircraft on the steep slope to effect rescue of two survivors there,” stated an official release. It was impossible for the SDRF crew to lift mortal remains at that altitude.
For this, he displayed ingenuity by using the winch cable to facilitate movement across undulating snow-bound terrain.
Notably, Wg Cdr Sumedh Jamkar undertook three successive missions that day bringing exemplary courage to the fore by landing at three other treacherous locations, between 15,600 feet to 16,900 feet altitude, rescuing three survivors and retrieving four mortal remains. For this exemplary display of grit and valour, he is awarded with VSM (Gallantry).