THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Lt. General Cherish Mathson will take over as army commander of South Western Command on Tuesday at Jaipur. He told DC that he would be commanding a field army with two corps – a pivot corps for the defence of Indian territory and a strike corps for launching an offensive into the enemy territory as part of the overall western front strategy. The Thiruvalla native will be responsible for defending southern Punjab and northern Rajasthan. The Lt. General’s objective will be to destroy the enemy war waging potential.
“I will be reporting to the COAS-- chief of the army staff,” said the Sainik School Kazhakoottam alumnus. The general officer has considerable experience in varied operational assignments across India. He has fought in rural and urban insurgency/terrorism situations in Mizoram against Mizo National Front (MNF) and in Operation Bluestar in Amritsar. He has commanded his battalion on the Line of Control with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir, during Operation Parakram. He has served two tenures on the Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield. He has commanded the Trivandrum Brigade which he transformed to Amphibious Role (akin to US Marines).
Later he commanded the infantry division in Hyderabad. He has also headed the Special Frontier Force (an airborne force which is directly under the PMO)--operationally deployed on the eastern and northern borders of India with China. His last assignment was to command the Sudarshan Chakra Strike Corps as part of the Southern Command. He has been honoured with the Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.
