HYDERABAD: As the Commandant of the Air Force Academy (AFA) administered the oath, 213 voices echoed across the Parade Ground of the Academy in Dundigal during the Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) held on Sunday morning. This marked the official induction of these 213 officers into the Indian Air Force (IAF) as they received their ‘Stripes’.
“If we follow only tradition, we will be like a dead lake. We need to be like a flowing river. For that, we will have to bring in innovation along with tradition. Keep flying and touch greater heights, but maintain your connection with the ground,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh implored the Cadets as they embarked on a new journey.
Among the graduating officers were 25 women officers. Additionally, eight officers from the Indian Navy, nine from the Indian Coast Guard and two officers from Vietnam were also awarded ‘Wings’ to mark the successful completion of their flying training.
The Defence Minister, who was the Reviewing Officer (RO) on the occasion, bestowed awards on trainees who had excelled in various disciplines of training. Flying Officer Atul Prakash, from the flying branch, was awarded the President’s Plaque and Chief of the Air Staff Sword of Honour for standing first in the overall order of merit in the pilots course. Flying Officer Amrinder Jeet Singh was awarded the President’s Plaque for first position in the overall order of merit amongst the ground duty branches.
After the Parade culminated, the newly-commissioned officers joined their proud families and friends. For Flying Officer Suryakiran, who hails from the Vikarabad district in Telangana, the day marked the beginning of a life-long dream of him and his family. The newly-commissioned Officer was named after the SuryaKiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) of the IAF. Calling his parents his inspiration, Suryakiran says, “For a person from a middle-class family, sending their child to undergo military training is one of the hardest and toughest decisions to make, which they made because I was passionate.”
Flying Officer Amrinder Jeet Singh’s tryst with the Armed Forces began in 2007. He was a Sergeant before joining the Academy through service-entry. On his first day as an Officer, he held his wife and young son close. “I learnt a lot from the younger Cadets. They are faster and more technology-driven,” he says.
A gravity-defying aerobatic show by Su-30 MKI, synchronous aerobatics by the Sarang helicopter display team and SKAT marked the culmination of the CGP. As the officers joined their loved ones, the display teams drew hearts in the sky as an ode to the people behind an Officer.