New Delhi, February 13: Considered to be India’s most dreaded 127 ‘Garud Commandos’, the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Saturday received after the Maroon Beret Ceremonial Parade.
On the completion of the training of the special force ‘Garud Commando Force’ of the IAF, a passing out parade took place at the Garud Regimental Training Center (GRTC) in Chandinagar on Saturday, whose salute was taken by Air Vice Marshal PS Karkare, senior officer of the Western Air Command.
The responsibility of protecting the high officers of the Air Force is also on the Garuda Commando Force. Apart from this, Garud commandos have also been deployed in anti-terrorist operations in Kashmir.
Wing Commander Trilok Sharma, Commandant, GRTC welcomed the Chief Guest Karkare and briefed on various training aspects.
The Chief Guest congratulated the Garuda soldiers for successfully passing out from the Garuda Regimental Training Center after two and a half years of hard training.
Addressing the young soldiers, he stressed on the importance of training and honing the skills of the Special Forces to keep pace with the changing security scenario.
He presented Maroon Beret, Garud Proficiency Badge and Special Forces Tab to successful Garuda trainees and trophies to meritorious passed out trainees. The Best All Rounder trophy was awarded to LAC Suryavanshi Shivcharan Arjun.
These commandos of the IAF armed with dangerous weapons are known to eliminate the enemy. Their training is such that they can fight for weeks without eating anything. During the passing out ceremony ‘Garuda Sena’ displayed various skills like Combat Firing, Hostage Rescue, Firing Drills, Assault Explosives, Obstacle Crossing Drills, Wall Climbing, Slythering, Rappelling and Military Martial Arts. In commando training, they have to go through boiling rivers and fire, Climb Mountains without support. With heavy loads one has to run for several kilometers and spend the night in dense forests.
Apart from all the bases of the Air Force, the Garuda Commando Force also protects other important offices of the Air Force. The responsibility of protecting the high officers of the Air Force is also on the Garuda Commando Force.
Apart from this, Garuda commandos have also been deployed in anti-terrorist operations in Kashmir. After the 2001 terrorist attack on Jammu and Kashmir Air Base, the decision was taken to form the Garud Commando Force in 2003, but on 6 February 2004, they were inducted into the Indian Air Force. Garud commandos have also been started to be deployed in the Armed Forces Special Operations Division in Jammu and Kashmir from 2019.
After the tension between India and China that started in Ladakh in 2020, Garuda commandos were deployed on the peaks of strategic importance in Ladakh. Their responsibility is to provide protection from Chinese airstrikes.
Garuda Commando Corporal Gursewak Singh was martyred during the Pathankot attack in 2016 and was posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra. The Garud Commando Corporal JP Nirala, who killed terrorists in an encounter in Kashmir’s Bandipora on November 18, 2017, has been posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award.
