The Aura and Grandeur of Command

A Battalion is a military unit of around 500- 1500 men usually consisting of between two and six companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. Several battalions are grouped to form a Brigade.

In modern British forces, and other world armies a Lieutenant Colonel usually commands a regiment (in the artillery and armoured regiments) or a battalion in the Infantry.

In the upgraded Indian Army the Battalions are commanded by Full Colonels (red tab) and second in command is Lieutenant Colonel. The aura and grandeur of Lieutenant Colonel has been reduced to a Company Commander in the Indian Army.

Will this lowering of Rank structure augur well for the Indian Army? Maybe further up gradation is the process and in future the Battalions will be commanded by Brigadiers!

Lt Gen Harwant Singh in his article "Defence leadership: Incentives required to attract talent", posted on 09 Jun 2008 in this blog has aptly brought out the consequences of dilution in Ranks.
Quote: "In the military each rank carries a certain degree of aura and authority and any dilution or serious alteration of this structure tends to upset the hierarchical system and response to command authority." unquote

The aura and grandeur of a Battalion commander has surely been diluted. The time tested rank of a Lieutenant Colonel who has been a Battalion Commander for the last 200 years of the Indian Army has been relegated to rank of a Major. Does this augur well for the Indian Army? Have we fallen in a trap designed by the Bureaucrats to dilute the command and control structure of the Armed Forces?

We request readers to share their views.
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