Cadet Sergeant Simran Kaur Bhasin of No. 2 (Maharashtra) Air Squadron NCC was adjudged the Best Senior Wing Cadet of NCC Group, Nagpur for 2001-2002.

Cdt Sgt Simran, a third year cadet of the unit, is a student of Hislop College. She was adjudged the Best Glider Pilot during the Pre-Vayusainik Camp-2000 and
had represented Maharashtra Directorate as a Glider Pilot at the All India Vayusainik Camp in Bangalore.

Cdt Sgt Simran Kaur was felicitated and presented a cheque for Rs 3000 by the Commanding Officer of the unit on behalf of the Group Commander Nagpur, Gp Capt S Hooda.

- Wg Cdr SN Mukerjee

from Nagpur

Carbogen, a combination of carbon dioxide and oxygen, is an elixir for Army personnel, particularly for those engaged in artillery. A constant exposure to firing of weapons or explosions of bombs leads to loss of hearing commonly known as temporary threshold shift (TTS). The protection provided by earplugs is inadequate and earmuffs cannot be utilised because of inconvenience to the user.

DIPAS provides a permanent solution to this problem. User trials at DIPAS showed that a brief inhalation for five minutes of carbogen before entry into the noisy environment reduces the magnitude of TTS development while its administration for five minutes after the return enhances the recovery from TTS syndrome. The use of carbogen has no side effects. It is beneficial not only to Army personnel but also to industrial workers. Trials are on in Naval ships too.

There is talk nowadays about joint exercises between the Indian Navy and the US navy. Yet, exercises with other navies is not something new to us. In the 1950s and 1960s, many navies took part in joint exercises every year at Trincomalee in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). These Joint Exercises at Trincomalee (JET) involved navies from India, Pakistan, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and then Ceylon. They stretched over several days and included spells of activity at sea interspersed with stays in harbour that were packed with sports fixtures and social engagements. As many as four aircraft carriers including our own Vikrant, half a dozen cruisers including two of ours, and some 40-odd destroyers and frigates took part in these JETs. Information technology of the 1960s was rather rudimentary. We managed to move about through use of flag signals (much as Nelson did at Trafalgar) the flashing lantern and, of course, the trusted semaphore flags which signalmen used to transmit long messages through more movement of hands.

Quite the most important social event was the party hosted by the naval officer-in-charge, Trincomalee. His invitation list covered officers from all navies and since he had a debutante daughter, sub-lieutenants figured adequately on his lawns, alongside others far ahead in station. Angela Murray was the focus of attention and captains of ships charged their young officers to get Miss Murray to their ship, this being considered a victory of no small magnitude. Angela obviously preferred Indian sub-lieutenants and thus, it was that she happily accepted our invitation to come to Kirpan.

The wardroom was spruced up for her visit as we two subs walked on air. Everyone was on his feet to fret over Angela but it was my privilege to provide her chosen brew, a bottle of beer. Sub-lieutenants are not experienced bar-tenders, whatever else they might be, and I covered the mouth of the bottle as soon as the cap came off. In a moment, the good ale had generously sprayed the guest’s pretty frock with the best of Beck’s. As I shrank from view, others jumped to the lady's help but she brushed the accident aside as something she was used to in her everyday adventures. By the time she left, the wardroom was in high spirits. The captain was delighted. His ship and the Indian Navy had triumphed.

The days of JETs, and of Angela Murray, may be long gone, never to return, but let us get going with joint exercises. They are long overdue.

-Premvir Das

The Army Ordnance Corps (AOC), a major logistic service of the Indian Army, celebrated its 227th anniversary. On this occasion, the Director General, Ordnance Services Lt Gen TJS Gill laid a wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti to pay homage to the martyrs.

AOC is one of the largest wings of the logistic services in the Army, handling an inventory of approximately half a million items. AOC is responsible for procurement, preservation, accounting and issue of all ordnance stores like armament, engineering and electronic items, vehicle spares, vehicles, ammunition, clothing and camp equipment required by the Army and other users such as Navy, Air Force and para military forces. The Corps also carries out management and disposal of unwanted, surplus and unserviceable stores.

The Corps has adopted innovative and modern techniques in providing effective logistic support to the Indian Army.

- PIB (DW)

The 3/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) is deployed along the Line of Control (LoC) in Northern Command. Apart from manning the LoC, the battalion is also engaged in anti-infiltration activities. In the last quarter of last year, an ambush party spotted one terrorist exfiltrating towards the Pakistan Occupied
Kashmir (Pok). The terrorist was engaged by ambush party and killed. The
terrorist belonged to foreign terrorist group "Sada-e-Jihad". The recoveries from him
included one AK rifle and a huge quantity of ammunition.

Same day, the commando platoon of the battallion was tasked to lay an ambush which spotted approximately 12 terrorists coming into Indian territory from the direction of Pok. The group of terrorists were engaged and four of them were killed on the spot. The remainder group tried to escape and get back to Pok. However, two of them were engaged by another ambush party of the battalion. The operation resulted in killing of six Pakistani terroists of ‘Jaish-e-Mohammed’ and a capture of three AK-56 rifles, six AK-56 magazines seven pistols (Chines), 39 printer ML 60 mm mortars, 130 hand grenades, 25 mortar bomb carts and other arms and ammunition. Such a huge recovery is a record in Kupwara Sector.

- Lt Col Mukhtiar Singh

A cycle expedition from Bhadrak to Berhampur was successfully conducted by 2 (ORI) Naval Unit, Bhadrak, under NCC Directorate, Orissa. The expedition consisting of 12 Naval NCC cadets was flagged-off from Bhadrak by Lt Col HS Grewal, Officer Commanding 7(O) Battalion., The team reached Berhampur via Cuttack, Bhubaneswar Khurda after successfully covering a distance of 350 kms and visiting some important places enroute.

input : Cdt Capt Jagannath Behera

Thirtytwo defence officers graduated as flying instructors, after completing 24-week Qualified Flying Instructor's Course at the Flying Instructors School, IAF, Tambaram in Chennai. Among those passed out, 24 were from
Air Force, three from Army, four from Navy and one from Coast Guard.

Air Marshal MB Madon, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command gave away the trophies to those who completed the course with distinction. In his address to the passed-out instructors, the Air Marshal wanted them to teach not only flying, but make every pupil a honest and professionally proud officer, capable of upholding the highest traditions of the Indian Air Force.

The 112th course consisted of 250 hours of studies and 3000 hours of flying task in Kiran and Deepak aircraft and Chetak helicopter.

The prestigious Majithia Trophy was awarded to the best Flying Instructor of the course, Sqn Ldr Ashish Gupta.