Air Marshal Saroj Jena was commissioned in the Air Force in June, 1945. During his 35 years of distinguished service career, he has held several important command and staff appointments. He has held the command of the three major Air bases in the Northern and Western sectors. One of these bases with its fleet of fighter, bomber and maritime and transport Squadrons, located in the Western Sector, is the largest operational establishment of the Air Force. During his two years tenure at this base, he organised all the training and other requirements of the base and ensured high operational and offensive preparedness of the Squadrons. He also maintained effective coordination with the Indian Navy in planning and providing maritime air defence of the country.

After graduating from the Defence Services Staff College with the coveted Directing Staff grading, he did a tenure as Chief Instructor at the Air Wing of the College. After serving as Joint Director of Operations (Transport & Maritime) and then as Director, Joint Operations Planning, he was posted as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Flight Safety and Inspection) at Air Headquarters. In this assignment, he was responsible for formulating policies relating to transport and maritime operations of the Air Force, coordinating and processing of joint inter-Services operational plans and all matters relating to flight safety and evaluation of operational and combat worthiness of the entire combat element of the Indian Air Force. He handled all these matters with professional competence. He set up a very ambitious flight safety target for the Air Force and implemented it successfully.

On promotion to the rank of Air Marshal, he was posted as Air Officer-in-Charge, Administration at Air Headquarters. His taking over this appointment coincided with the formulation and implementation of several important measures relating to career prospects of officers and other ranks in the Air Force. The various proposals in this regard were formulated and processed in consultation with the Ministry of Defence. After Government approval was obtained, his effective guidance enabled the staff to implement the large scale upgradations of airmen posts and within a period of six months, promotions and deployments of several thousand personnel were carried out smoothly. In the case of officers also, he made valuable contribution towards finding acceptable and workable solutions to the problems of stagnation and supersessions in the Air Force.

In addition to the matters on personnel side, his responsibility also covers works services, administration and financial control of various Air Force welfare funds and schemes, discipline, law and order, security of Air Force installations and management of public funds of the Air Force. In these too, he has displayed sound judgment and ingenuity and carried out his tasks with commendable results.

Air Marshal Sara Jena has thus rendered distinguished service of the most exceptional order.

Air Marshal Hemant Ramkrishna Chitnis was commissioned in the Air Force in 1944. Besides holding several important Command and Staff appointments during his 36 years of service with the Air Force, he underwent several professional courses in India and abroad. He did his Flying Instructor's Course in U.K., Defence Services Staff College Course at Wellington and Senior International Defence Management Course at USA. He made effective use of the knowledge and experience gained by him during these training courses in his various Service assignments.

He commanded with distinction an Operational Squadron, a Flying Station and the Air Force Academy. His important Staff assignments at Air Headquarters include Joint Director Intelligence, Director of Flight Safety, Director of Training and Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Plans).

As Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Plans), he was responsible for forecasting, planning and formulating Air Staff requirements for new aircraft and equipment for the IAF. He made significant contribution in the preparation of the Five-Year (1978-83) Financial Role on Plan for the IAF and in planning for the Acquisition of Deep Penetration Strike Aircraft and Medium Transport Aircraft, and the Trials of Various Inertial Navigational Equipments.

As Commandant, Air Force Academy, he meticulously planned and organised his tasks and resources and ensured a high standard of training without a single fatal accident. On taking over as Air Officer Commandingin-Chief, Training Command, he re-oriented the training in the IAF on the basis of his vast experience as Instructor. While he ensured the highest standards of training necessary for the Operational Units, he also achieved the lowest wastage rate among trainee pilots. As Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Maintenance Command, he was responsible for the overhaul and repair of aircraft, aeroengines, airborne and ground equipments specialist vehicles. Through effective management of manpower and material resources, he significantly improved the output various Base Repair and Equipment Depots in his Command and thus ensured effective serviceability his Operational Units.

Air Marshal Hemant Ramkrishna Chitnis has thus rendered distinguished service of the most exception order.

Air Marshal Trilochan Singh Brar was commissioned in the Air Force in the Flying Branch in April, 1944. During his long service in the Air Force, he has held a variety of flying and senior staff appointments at various levels. He has commanded two important air bases in the ranks of Group Captain and Air Commodore and creditably discharged his wide and varied responsibilities in regard to the deployment of bomber, maritime and transport Squadrons. During his three years tenure as Air Attaché in our Embassy in France, he displayed a rare combination of professionalism and diplomacy and

successfully completed this sensitive role. As Air I at Headquarters Western Air

Command during the period preceding the Indo-Pak Conflict, 1971, he visualised the need and meticulously formulated operational plans for deployment of aircraft in the Western

Sector and for providing close air support to the Army. This planning was largely responsible for the high degree, of operational preparedness of the Command when the conflict broke out. For this distinguished performance, he was awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in January, 1972.

He has subsequently held the important appointments of Senior Air Staff Officer Headquarters Central Air Command in the rank of Air Commodore and Commandant Air Force Academy in the rank of Air Vice Marshal. As Commandant, Air Force Academy,

he reviewed and updated the flying training techniques and ensured a high standard of training consistent with the requirements of flight safety. In his present appointment as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Air Command, he has enabled the Command to fulfill all its tasks relating to air maintenance and operational training despite the serious shortage of fuel and spares for the ageing aircraft. In the face of heavy odds, he has maintained high level of serviceability of aircraft enabling the command to fulfill all its operational commitments. The massive air operations undertaken by the Command for flood relief won the appreciation of all concerned including the civil authorities.

Air Marshal Trilochan Singh, Brar has thus rendered distinguished service of the most exceptional order.

Air Vice Marshal Mulk Raj got his commission in July, 1953. He has held a number of important assignments and served as Principal Medical Officer at Headquarters Western and Central Air Commands and the Training Command.

He has undergone a large number of professional and Service courses which, among others, include Blood Transfusion Course, the Resuscitation Course, the Specialist Course in Aviation Medicine, the Defence Services Staff College Course, the Work Study Appreciation Course and the Senior Defence Management Course. He was the first IAF medical officer who was selected for appointment as Senior Medical Officer at the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla. By his dedicated efforts, he was able to convert the local Section hospital into a full-fledged independent hospital and there by ensured saving of a number of training hours of the cadets. After graduating from the Defence Services Staff College in 1959, he was amongst the first few in his Branch to specialise in Aviation Medicine. His project study paper on 'Fighter Cockpit Space' helped, to a great extent, in designing the cockpit of jet trainer aircraft. As an aviation medicine specialist, he held the important assignment of Officer Commanding Aero-Medical Unit. In 1969, he was posted as Deputy Director of Medical Services at Air Headquarters. While in command of the Command Hospital at Bangalore, he considerably improved the efficient functioning of the hospital.

As Director of Medical Services at Air Headquarters, he has brought about improvement in preventable diseases, in the standard of hygiene and sanitation and efficient working of maternity and child welfare centres at Stations in the various Commands. He has also ensured that the medical staff is closely involved in flight safety programme of their units. This has not only brought about improvement in the operational efficiency of the units but has also helped in keeping the accident rate down.

Air Vice Marshal Mulk Raj has thus rendered distinguished service of the most exceptional order.