Is the Army physically fit for warfare?

Unfit Army? Survey finds 30% overweight
Durgesh Nandan Jha, TNN Sep 5, 2011, 01.07am IST
NEW DELHI: A study on the health of Indian Army personnel has thrown up worrying results. Four out of five personnel surveyed, including officers, were found suffering from pre-hypertension, about a third were overweight and two-thirds had low levels of good cholesterol (HDL), caused by lack of exercise.
The sample survey was conducted by the defence ministry and Indian Council of Medical Research on 767 'healthy' personnel including 130 officers. Their ages ranged from 18 to 50 years.
The study also found a majority of the personnel had bad eating habits. Most of them added salt or pickle to their food and used ghee/butter regularly.
Unfit Army

Letter to Times of India by Brig Lakshman Singh (Retd)
UNFIT ARMY –screamed the headline from the front page of the Monday Times of India.
The second or the third larges standing Army in the World discredited based on a sample survey of 767. How many of the sample were from Arms and how many from Services, how many of the surveyed were deployed in field and how many in peace stations how many married and staying with the family, was the ethnic background also taken into consideration.
I retired long back from the army, there used to tests for physical fitness like BPET and PPT, annual medical examinations both for officers and the men. The nature of job, as such, created stress and to relieve it that were regular games and sports, music on radio and magazines newspapers, books and also Sanik Sammelans, where the Commanding Officer addressed the unit personnel once a month.
Has everything changed in the present day army, I do wonder: not possible to my mind.
If Army is unfit, the reason has to be found some where else. In September of 1962 we, of Seven Brigade ocated at Tawang, ill-equipped and ill clothed for winter, with no snow clothing available, in woollen jersey and angora shirt, for fighting at the heights of 16000 feet plus, for personal arms the troops had the, World War Two, 303 Le-Enfield rifle with 50 rounds of ammunition and the units without digging tools, barbed -wire, mines and no Artillery support, were told to take on the Chinese.
Possibly equipment wise with modernising lagging behind for one reason or other, things are no batter even now. If Army is unfit one has to seek the reason somewhere else.
I would also suggest your copywriter to be slightly more discreet ‘Eye Catching’ head lines look good but can be damaging to the institutions in the eyes of the Nation,

Defence forces play their part in India's CWG success

The Times of India
Surender Negi, TNN, Oct 13, 2010, 03.47am IST

NEW DELHI: The Indian Army has silently played a key role in India's march towards its highest medal haul in the Commonwealth Games. Army's efforts are not just limited to building a collapsed bridge and helping the security for the Games - sportspersons from the forces are also winning medals for the nation.

Till Monday, sportspersons from the Army have accounted for seven gold, four silver and five bronze medals. Naval sports persons are also not far behind fetching five gold and a silver & bronze each with Suranjoy Singh still in contention for gold in 52kg category in boxing.

This performance by them can be traced back to 2001 when the Indian Army launched its Mission Olympics programme. The programme was envisioned by the Army to train talented and potential sportsmen in selected sports disciplines to excel with an overall aim to ensure a podium finish in the Olympics. Army's Mission Olympic Wings (MOW) has got five world class facilities across the country for round the clock training under experienced coaches in athletics, archery, boxing, weightlifting, wrestling, fencing, rowing and yatching.

"The Mission Olympics is designed to produce outstanding results in international competitions. Children in the age group of 14-16 are trained to excel in various Olympic sports. It is all about catching them young. Pick them when they are about 14 and train them for a good six years," Lt Gen Ramesh Halgali, Director General of Military Training said. "They are getting everything as far as upgradation is concerned - equipment, facilities and motivation," he added. Shooting, which has emerged the bedrock of India's biggest tally, has also accounted for majority of gold medals that the forces have won.

While Army has won six out of its seven gold medals through shooting, Navy has won three out of five. Vijay Kumar (army) and Omkar Singh (navy) have been the most successful shooters, each winning three gold and a silver.
Read more: Defence forces play their part in India's CWG success - The Times of India Defence forces play their part in India's CWG success

Indian Armed Forces win 22 Medals
A figure for your consideration and for feeling proud. Out of the 33 medals won by India in CWG till now Defence Forces have bagged 22, 16 by the Army and 6 by the Navy.
Brigadier PT Gangadharan, Guards, Veteran

Indian Military: The sieze within- What has been done?

Nitin Gokhale
Senior Editor, Defence and Strategic Affairs, NDTV
Tuesday, June 12, 2007 (New Delhi)
One of the acknowledged strengths of the Indian Army is its rigid discipline and high morale but with corruption eroding the system is there a guarantee that the juniors would not revolt or at least protest against corrupt seniors?

Surely the top brass is well aware of these issues. What is perhaps lacking is the courage to take them up at the appropriate forum of decision makers. The brass would do the nation and the army itself a big favour by taking appropriate remedial measures before time runs out.
Indian Army: The siege within

Comment: The top- heavy Brass of the Indian Military should address the problems of the Junior Commanders least they systematically downgrade the command and control chain. If mid- course corrections are not applied the combat effectiveness of the forces (units/ Battalions) are bound to reduce in spite of the speedy Modernisation programme envisaged for 2020! Sadly Senior Retired Generals write more articles on Military Strategy rather than on real live issues confronting the Military. Senior Generals need to find solutions and not selfishly improve their own career prospects by proxy at the peril of the nation's security.

Women in the Armed Forces: Fiction and Facts

It should never be forgotten that the raison d’être for the constitution of the armed forces is to ensure security of the country. Decisions which have a far reaching effect on the defence potential of the armed forces must be taken with due diligence. Instead of replicating a model, India must chart its own policy. It has an experience of 18 years. Honest feedback must be sought to appreciate the true ground situation and initiate corrective measures. Most importantly, the military brass must show moral courage to admit that the present mess demands a holistic review of the policy, protestations of self-styled champions of gender-parity not withstanding. Decisions taken as a matter of political and populist expediency can prove disastrous for the nation in the long run. Defence matters cannot be treated as publicity gimmick to flaunt sexual equality.

Maj Gen Mrinal Suman is India’s foremost expert in defence procurement procedures and offsets. He heads Defence Technical Assessment and Advisory Services Group of CII.

Read the full and related articles:
Women in the Armed Forces: misconceptions and facts By Maj Gen Mrinal Suman (IDR Issue: Vol 25.1 Jan-Mar 2010)
Women in the Armed Forces
Women in the Armed Forces: Part 2
Women in the Armed Forces: Part 3
Women in the Armed Forces: Part 4
Women in the Armed Forces: Part 5
WOMEN IN THE ARMED FORCES
Why won’t US allow women in combat

Readers Comments
Mrinal Suman has written excellent article on women Service and factually so very correct. I compliment him for this effort and his fothright and candid views.
Lt Gen DP Sehgal (Former SO-in-C)

The write up was interesting.
I was told by someone that the ACRs of the lady officers are so good that the Govt cannot by any stretch of imagination stop inducting the ladies. After all they would go by the records they have and not what a soldier perceives.
Thanks and regards
Govindarajan

Physical fitness and Low Medical Category

Ref: click me

Incentives and corrective action are important tools in maintaining physical fitness. Officers and Jawans who are physically fit should be commended for performance. Those who repeatedly fail the stipulated physical standards should be barred from further promotions. A repetitive failure occurs when a record test is taken and failed, the soldier is provided adequate time and assistance to improve his or her performance, and failure occurs again.

Staying physically fit provides Officers and Jawans with benefits in addition to staying in the Armed forces. It will increase each one's quality of life, help one maintain weight and reduce risk of certain health problems.

Although the Physical Proficiency tests is an annual event, physical fitness remains the foundation for individual and unit combat readiness. It begins with our officer, Junior commissioned officer, non-commissioned officer leadership and must be an integral part of every one's life.

There are many senior officers who are physically unfit and manipulate ways to cheat the system (medical and physical). This is likely to reduce the combat readiness and effectiveness of units. Low Medical Category officers must be boarded out graciously instead of promoting them as an incentive. Most of the LMC officers seek a plum peace posting at the expense of officers serving in field areas. A retrograde step indeed!

Army officer under scanner over misconduct

TNN 14 July 2009, 08:55am IST
NEW DELHI: The bad news for the 1.13-million strong Army shows no sign of stopping. After a series of meat, cereal, liquor and fuel scandals,

Lucknow-based Central Army Command chief Lt-General J K Mohanty has now ordered a court of inquiry (CoI) against a Brigadier posted in Uttarakhand after charges of misuse of funds and misbehaviour with a woman were levelled against him.

Incidentally, the accused infantry officer was recently approved to become a Major-General. ‘‘If he is guilty, he will be punished. But till now, there are just some charges against him, the veracity of which have to be inquired into,’’ said an officer.

‘‘Only after the CoI will we be able to say if there is a preliminary case for him to be tried through a summary of evidence and subsequent court martial,’’ he added.

Though the case is yet to be established, it is another indicator of the declining standards of probity and discipline in the armed forces.

The court martial against Maj-Gen A K Lal, removed as commander of the strategically-located 3 Infantry Division at Leh in September 2007 after a woman officer accused him of ‘‘misconduct’’ and ‘‘misbehaviour’’, held that he should be dismissed from service.

Incidentally, the names of two Lt-Gens, four Maj-Gens, nine Brigadiers, a Navy Commodore, two Commanders, a Lt-Commander, an IAF Group Captain and a Coast Guard DIG had figured in an earlier list of 21 senior officers facing corruption charges.
Army officer under scanner over misconduct

Cycling essential component of Military Training: Our Academy life filled with bike adventures

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”
- Albert Einstein
As a kid, you were never too far away from your bike - you adorned its spokes with beads or hockey cards, and zoomed up and down the street like you were invincible.

Now, as an adult, your wheels are motorized, and you drive the city streets with your shoulders glued to your ears, especially in rush-hour traffic.

But what if you could abandon the rush-hour hell, get some exercise and feel better, every single day? According to Michael Kalmanovitch of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters, the solution's simple: hop on your bike.
Bicycles in India
Like riding a bike
Edmonton Bicycle Commuters

Cycles in Mhow: Picnic with Nangia
My major contribution to the economy of Mhow Cantt on posting to MCTE was in a spurt in the sale of cycles in the town. I used to cycle in the college campus. Once General Sundarji also decided to cycle to his office it started a fad with most of the staff of the two colleges rushing to the cycle shops acquiring or hiring cycles.
Brig Lakshman Singh VSM (Retd)

Simple rules to be Happy

Everyone dreams of a life which is full of peace and joy. But how can we attain that as a retired Ex- Servicemen? Priya Kumar talks about a few simple, yet effective ways to a happy life.

The problem is that we have complicated our attitude towards life and living to the point that our own lives have gone out of our control. And after having complicated our lives, the mistake that we make is that we expect a complicated solution to straighten out the problem. And just the reverse is true. Problems occur when we deviate from simplicity and complicate communication. Being happy is so simple, that many people find it difficult to practice. Live life by these simple rules and often people compliment you with a question, “How do you stay so happy?”

1. Tell the truth: To tell the truth is the mark of a person with character. In today’s professional warfare, twisting the truth has become a norm. Trust is lacking in personal and professional relationships. People are not honest about their feelings, their agendas and their intentions, for the fear of being rejected or judged. Being rejected and judged on the truth is far better than living a lie. Aspire to be honest no matter what the consequences. You will be happier and abundant in all that counts.

2. Appreciate goodness: Some of us rank first in the queue of criticism and in the same breath; we are the last to appreciate. Remember this that whatever you appreciate will grow in your experience. When you compliment and appreciate someone, they will always return your gesture. Appreciation like any other outflow of emotion and it has a boomerang effect; it comes back to you multiplied. Give genuine appreciation and you will be richly rewarded with more.

3. Don’t do to others that you would not have others do to you: Often I have seen people put others down on one pretext or another. The person who puts others down is far unhappier than the person belittled. Measure every action by the rule, “Would I have this done to me?” If your answer is no, don’t do it. Always treat people with the grace and dignity they deserve even if your opinion about them is otherwise. When you treat people a certain way, indirectly you are sending out the message of how you should be treated. Treat people with respect, no matter what your opinion.

4. Take care of yourself: Some people look after their cars better than they look after their own bodies. I sincerely believe that someone who is not interested in looking after himself is a disaster waiting to happen. The ultimate disrespect one can bear upon oneself is not to consider oneself worthy enough of being treated well. You can’t complain when others don’t treat you well, if you can’t do that for yourself. Treat yourself with love, and you will find yourself in a zone of pure happiness.

5. Be competent: The greatest joy one gets is out of his own competence and accomplishments. Competent people have higher self esteem and self worth. They consider themselves capable of adding value and that increases their happiness quotient. Be competent in your field of endeavor.

6. Have the attitude of gratitude: Gratefulness is the key to greatness. It puts you in a state of acceptance and tolerance. You can’t be grateful and not be happy. Gratitude is the most gracious path to happiness. Be grateful for all that you have, and when you are grateful for that, you will never be in a position of lack.

7. Set a good example: The highest form of living is by setting a good example. No matter who you are, how small or big, there is always someone watching you and emulating you. And if you have children, then the responsibility of setting a good example is far greater. When you direct your life consciously towards setting a good example, you can never go wrong. Life is beautiful and the keys to happiness are simple. Infact, unhappiness is a clue that we have deviated from fairness, honesty and compromised on our integrity. The slightest pinch of negativity should direct us towards the simple rules of being happy. Life is worth living if you allow yourself to be happy. It’s easy. Be happy. Be Positive.
Simple rules to be happy

Officers and Orderlies

In the military, a soldier is assigned to an officer to attend to his small personal requirements such as prepare his dress, serve bed tea, keep his room in good order, etc. This sets the officer free to deal with more important issues demanding his attention.

A few years ago, someone thought that the term “orderly” was not in keeping with the democratic norms and decided to rename him as “Sahayak” though his range of duties and commitments remain the same.

Over time a strong relationship builds between the officer and his orderly (sorry Sahayak). The latter would go to any extent to make his officer comfortable. Thus an orderly of a Polish officer during World War II would bring hot meals from the enemy kitchen for his officer. He continued with this enterprise for quite some time till one day he was found out and taken prisoner.
When General Musservy came to India to attend the centenary celebrations of his regiment so did his long time Sahayak. The two went into a long hug with tears flowing down their wrinkled cheeks.

Sahayaks not only attend to the basic needs, but often proffer advice to the officer. While I was working as a staff officer, my Sahayak finding that I was not regular with the morning physical training would often lecture me on the need for an officer to remain physically fit. He continued lecturing me till the annual test of a five-mile run where I beat him by a wide margin. After that he never brought up the subject of physical fitness.

During training camps, the officers are accommodated in tents of various sizes, depending on rank. Camp equipment is an essential requirement, such as camp cot, a hurricane lamp, an odd stool or table and in the bath tent, the necessary items like foot board, bucket, mug, stool and a commode, better known as “thunderbox”, etc.

We were on one such camp when a young officer, straight from the academy, arrived late in the evening. He was assigned a tent and a Sahayak. On discovering that the officer had just his bedding and a small box with none of the camp essentials listed above, Sahayak was in a quandary.

The young officer after leaving his baggage with his Sahayak went to the officer’s mess. After dinner everyone moved to their respective tents and so did this officer. On opening the flap of his tent he found that his bedding was neatly laid out on a camp cot, there was a hurricane lamp, stool, a hanger or two for his clothes and the bathroom was fully equipped with a bucket full of water, “thunderbox”, etc. He felt happy at having come to a regiment where they took such good care of their officers!

He was immersed in these pleasant thoughts when someone shouted that his camp cot was missing and soon more protests were heard regarding other items. A search commenced and item by item were traced to this newly arrived officer’s tent. One by one these items were taken away with this officer helplessly watching the proceedings. Soon his bedding was on the floor and nothing else left with him.

Throughout these unseemly proceedings the officer’s Sahayak remained in the shadows and when every item was taken away, he was overheard telling another Sahayak, “Mein ta sub kuch ekatha kar detha se, par saab kolon sambhalya hi nahin gaya.” (I had collected everything, but the sahib could not consolidate his hold on these!)
Reproduced for benefit of Readers Article in Tribune, 26 March 2008

Lt Gen Harwant Singh, PVSM, AVSM (Retd)

Prudent Economics and Human Relationships

Cycles in Mhow: Picnic with Nangia
Cycling
My major contribution to the economy of Mhow Cantonment on posting to MCTE was in a spurt in the sale of cycles in the town. I used to cycle in the college campus. Once General Sundarje also decided to cycle to his office; it started as a fad with most of the staff of the two colleges rushing to the cycle shops acquiring or hiring cycles.

Short course in human relationship
Six most important words "I admit I made a mistake".
The five most important words "You did a good job".
The four most important words "What is your opinion".
The three most important words "If you please".
The two most important words "Thank you".
The least Important word is "I". My suggestion Change "I" to "We".

Brig Lakshman Singh, VSM (Retd)