Squadron Leader Tushar G Desai was commissioned on 30 August 1984. He has been looking after the maintenance and servicing of Mi-8 helicopters and is the Senior Technical Officer of the unit.

It was his personal involvement in detailed planning that all the ten aircraft (ac) of the unit were made serviceable when the unit moved from Air Force Station Sulur to Air Force Station Jamnagar. This feat was once again repeated at Air Force Station Jamnagar, when under his supervision hundredpercent serviceability was achieved during more difficult times when the spares were not coming so easily.

The officer carried out a modification to the rocket sight camera of Mi-8 ac due to which the film runs even after the trigger is released and the impact point of rocket is thus filmed. This has helped tremendously in analysing the firing techniques of pilots and improvement in operational efficiency.

During an exercise, one Mi-8 helicopter of the unit required a change of the cooler fan assembly at Goa. Normally, both the engines have to be removed to carry out this change. Because of non-availability of specific ground equipment and to avoid further delay, it was decided to do it without removing the engine. Special tools were fabricated by Sqn Ldr Desai at the Naval workshop. The task was completed in the shortest possible time inspite of the fact that the unit was not on an Air Force base.

One helicopter of the unit had carried out a single engine landing at Rajkot airfield. To retrieve the ac it was decided to dismantle it and bring it by road. Under the supervision and guidance of Sqn Ldr Desai, the entire aircraft was dismantled and loaded on specially prepared trailers within three days. Personal liaison and interaction with the civil authorities by the officer resulted in the Post and Telegraphs Department and Gujarat Electricity Board Department detailing teams with special insulated T-bars to raise the high tension cables and telephone wires all along the route till Jamnagar. Thus, the task was achieved well ahead of time, with limited resources and minimal expenditure.

For distinguished service of high order the President is pleased to award 'Vishisht Seva Medal' to Sqn Ldr Tushar Gunvantrai Desai.