BY WG CDR RAJESH KUMAR 

 

THE ‘D’ day has finally arrived today, when I hang my uniform and bid good-bye to the active service of the mighty and wonderful Indian Air Force. As I look back at that day of 1985 November when I was a young 19-year-old lad just out of school and my parents, who are now watching my re-attirement from heavens, along with my two sisters dropped me off at Ambala Cantt Railway Station. Mom alike all mothers with tears rolling down her eyes and sisters appeared very cheerful to bid adieu to me as if getting rid of a ruffian who always fought over sharing of scarce resources at home. My companion, the Baksa (black steel trunk) since 1977 when I joined Sainik School Kapurthala was stuffed with necessary clothing, toiletries and Gond ke Laddoo (round desi ghee atta sweet meat) full of blessings and love of mother, I boarded Dadar Express for Kalyan, changed over to Mahalaxmi Express at Kalyan for Miraj, took a local narrow gauge train for Belgaum Railway Station and finally hopped into the rear cabin of Tata Mercedes Benz (TMB) sent by Administrative Training Institute (ATI) which trains non technical Airmen in IAF. My dear readers TMB was a 3 tonne truck not a car.

 

A very eventful year of training, wherein the ragda (ragging drills) by seniors at Sainik School Kapurthala came handy and I excelled in almost all the modules of physical drills, sports, academics to pass out as Leading Aircraftsman. ‘Op Brasstacks’ in Rann of Kutch, ‘Op Pawan’ in Vavyuniya Sri Lanka with IPKF, flood relief operations in Bihar and Srinagar, security cover for safe passage to convoy carrying Wing Commander Abhinandan on his release from Pak custody to Rajasansi Air Force base and many more assignments fulfilled. Commended by Chief of the Air Staff twice and once by Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command were few highlights of the glorious career spanning over thirty eight years. Having seen Indian Air Force transforming from Air Power to Aerospace Power, as if it’s a thing of yesterday, life stands at fifty-seven years with the blink, myself now a Wing Commander, remember so many near and dears gone and many added to the inventory of life, the childlike Josh still there to surge ahead and do something to add value to society and nation.

 

All thanks to the fauji way of living which instills an untiring attitude to just keep going and ‘Touch the sky with Glory’. On reading my account you must be wondering ‘Janab Apne Miya mithu Ban Raha hai’ (blowing one’s own trumpet). No dear friends, it’s just an attempt to bring today’s generation out of virtual world and send a message that the actual life lies out of screen of your gadgets.