| Air Commodore Raj Kumar Vashisht (13832) AE (L) was commissioned as an engineer in the Aeronautical Branch on 06 Jan 75. He has held important appointments of Engineering Officer/Senior Technical Officer of MiG 21 and Mirage-2000 Sqns, Chief Engineering Officer (CEO) of a flying Station, CO of TETTRA School and Base Repair Depot (BRD) and Command Engineering Officer at two Command Headquarters. As CO, Mirage Tettra School, Gwalior, he instituted effective steps to provide high quality training and brought improvement in overall availability of training aids. He ensured well coordinated control of all engineering activities in support of Op Safed Sagar as CEO at AF Station, Adampur. Final outcome of operations brought laurels to the Indian Air Force. High quality maintenance practices followed at Air Force Station, Adampur brought Best Maintenance Trophy of WAC for two consecutive years. Maintenance Control Centre (MCC) was declared the Centre of Excellence and was replicated on all the bases under HQ WAC. With his technical expertise and ingenuity as CO of BRD, he could tide over the shortage of spares with indigenisation of critical items and developing new repair schemes to recover Cat-D rotables. These successful efforts saved the exchequer a substantial amount in foreign exchange against imports. Under his leadership, the Depot achieved peak production of all types of aero-engines and was adjudged second best BRD. In his present appointment of C Eng O, HQ EAC, despite severe constrains of remote locations, adverse weather and poor connectivity, with high level of professional command and control over all aircraft maintenance activities of Eastern Air Command, he ensured that the serviceability and availability of various fleets reached to high levels for the first time. A large number of unserviceable aircraft were brought on line to meet the time bound training tasks which resulted in higher utilisation of the assets. He organised various workshops at the operating bases to bring about high level of maintenance practices amongst technical personnel, thereby achieving better safety standards. With his active supervision and involvement, three international exercises, COPE INDIA, SINDEX and GARUDA III, were successfully conducted at Air Force Station, Kalaikunda. Air Commodore Raj Kumar Vashisht has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order. | 
