HYDERABAD: Approximately, 29 women were among those who passed out during the combined graduation parade at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, where President Droupadi Murmu took the salute.
Woman officer, flying officer Manisha Yadav topped the ground duty stream and was awarded the President’s Plaque.
The President, who was earlier received by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari, took the salute and reviewed the parade.
The highlight of the event was the commissioning ceremony. The oath was administered by AFA, Dundigal Commandant, Air Marshal B. Chandra Sekhar. The parade was interspersed by well-coordinated and synchronised flypasts by Pilatus PC-7 Mk II, Dornier, Hawk, Kiran and Chetak helicopters.
The President gave away awards to the trainees. Flying Officer Nitesh Jakhar 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 Varsha Sailwal decided to give the IAF a try at 21 and couldn't believe that she was able to accomplish it in just two years. "My father was my biggest inspiration," she said, pointing to Gautam Sailwal, who served in the navy. "My only daughter has touched the skies. I couldn't be more proud," he said.
"My father was in the Air Force and I too wanted to join the IAF. This was my fifth attempt at clearing the SSB exam. Although we had been practising for four to five days, the feeling was completely different today. It is not easy since hard work is important. With my father also in the Air Force, joining him is a great feeling," said flying officer Pratibha Phogat.
Flying officer Prateek S. Immadi was six when he dreamt of joining the IAF. On what piqued his interest, he said, "People at the Sainik School and the idea of conquering the skies."
His father, a teacher, and mother, a homemaker from Karnataka, ‘pipped’ him with tears and couldn't get enough pictures with him.
"He's the first in our family to ever dream of serving the country and getting here," his sister said. "The journey thus far was not easy, rather, it was a bumpy ride, but that's what taught me the most and prepared me for the IAF,” Immadi said.
The ceremony culminated with the newly commissioned officers receiving their first salute from their immediate juniors while marching out in two columns, to the traditional notes of ‘Anandaloke’ by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.
A scintillating aerobatic show by Pilatus aircraft, synchronous aerobatic displays by the helicopter display team ‘Sarang’, ‘Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team’ and SU-30 MKI marked the parade’s grand finale.
