12 Jat, raised as the forerunner of Rashtriya Rifles units, has had a varied combat experience of 46 years

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Soldiers though trained to be hard, have a softer and creative side too. Of them, paratroopers are reputed to be tough with a keen eye for detail and ground. Akash Deep Gill is all of these with the added quality of having a flair for design where the famed paratrooper’s vision undoubtedly helps. Commissioned in 1978, he served with 2 and 3 Para and formed part of the Army .22 pistol shooting team, becoming the national champion in 1991-92. Later he did a stint with the ‘hush-hush’ Special Frontier Force’s 3rd Battalion. With no command vacancies in the Paras, he took over 15 Maratha Light Infantry, serving in Pune and the LOC from where he took premature retirement, settling in Chandigarh.

KESHAV SINGH/HTColonel Akash Deep Gill (retd) pictured with some of the artefacts designed by him. His creative bent of mind showcases the sensitive side of the otherwise harsh world of soldiering.

The running of a premier leader goods store in Sector 7 occupied his time. Gill’s leisure time was spent travelling and indulging in his hobby of collecting antiques. This led to what became his passion – the design and creation of artefacts. The modification and enhancement of period pieces of furniture occupies a fair bit of his time as does the design and fabrication of new furniture and objets d’art. His house in Sector 28 is filled with his creations. The future might see him turning professional with his designing and creation. 12 JAT REUNION

12 Jat was raised as a part of the 31-32 series of specialised battalions for counter-insurgency (the precursor of today’s Rashtriya Rifles units) with a mix of personnel from the parent regiment and the Punjab, Rajput and Sikh Regiments. Deployed to Mizoram, the battalion soon found itself in the forefront of operations against East Pakistan in 1971. The Jats carried out surgical strikes against Pakistani forces in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Most notable was young Lieutenant Baljit Gill’s raid in September on a group of boats carrying men of 3 Commando Battalion, SSG on the Karnaphuli River, 35 kms deep in enemy territory. He was awarded a Vir Chakra for the successful operation. Forming part of Kilo Force, the Jats spearheaded the advance on Chittagong, taking the surrender of a large number of naval personnel.

During the Sri Lanka operations, the battalion served in the jungles of Vavuniya, winning a number of decorations. 12 Jat again distinguished itself in Siachen during the Kargil War. It has a number of tenures in counter-insurgency and in the no-war, no-peace environment of the LOC.

Recently, the first-ever reunion of the battalion’s officers was held at Chandimandir with veterans coming from as far away as Guwahati. This indeed is the spirit that spurs men to perform impossible deeds for the good names of their regiments. 12 Jat Zindabad! LIKELY NEXT AIR CHIEF

Air Marshal Birender ‘Tony’ Dhanoa is likely to be the next Air Chief on account of his seniority and undoubted merit. Currently he is the vice-chief after having commanded South-Western Air Command. He commanded 17 Squadron (The Golden Arrows) in action during the Kargil War, flying reconnaissance and strike missions and winning the Yudh Seva Medal. Belonging to Gharuan village near Kharar, he was educated at the Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun. The Air Marshal’s father was in the IAS and volunteered to serve in Punjab as the chief secretary in the difficult time after Operation Bluestar. One looks forward to the good news.