Squadron Leader, Vinod Kumar Goel was commissioned as an Engineer in the

Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical) branch on 09 August 1984. While posted as an Engineering Officer of a Chetak/Cheetah Squadron, he performed creditably. Sqn Ldr VK Goel took over as Officer-inCharge General Engineering Section of a Base Repair Depot (BRD) on 01 January 1990. Due to the disruption of supplies of spares from CIS countries there has been an acute shortage of aircraft & aeroengine spares required for the overhaul task of the BRD. The officer indigenised many of these spares and thus immensely contributed towards meeting the annual production task of the depot. The Depot produced 70,000 items in 1991-92, 110,000 items in 1992-93 and 170,000 items of indigenised spares in 1993-94. It is a multifold increase over the 1990-91 figure which stood at only 28,000 items. The resultant annual foreign exchange savings was to the tune of Rs. 140 lakhs in 1993-94 as compared to 10 lakhs in 1990-91.

Sqn Ldr VK Goel is adept in reverse engineering. Many of the items produced by him were quite complex and required ingenuity, strong engineering fundamentals and self motivation. He has also indigenously developed test facilities to establish the reliability of the indigenous components for airborne applications.

For distinguished service of high order the President is pleased to award 'Vishisht Seva Medal' to Sqn Ldr Vinod Kumar Goel.