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Wing Commander Suraj Shankar
| Service No & Branch | 24037 F(P) |  | |||||||
| Date of Birth: -- --- ---- | Commissioned: 29 Jun 1996 | Course: 157 Course | |||||||
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| Google the Bharat Rakshak Website for : "S Shankar" | |||||||||
| Vayu Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty) | ||||
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| Wg Cdr | Suraj Shankar | 24037 F(P) | Award Date 26 Jan 2016 | Announced 26 Jan 2016 |
| Details : | Wing Commander Suraj Shankar (24037) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a pilot in the flying branch on 29 Jun 96. He is on the posted strength of a Mi-17 Vs helicopter unit as Commanding Officer since 02 Jun 2014. On 28 April 2015, Wg Cdr Suraj was carrying out earthquake relief operations in the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated Nepal on 25 Apr 15. Operating from Pokhra in Nepal, he received information that 09 people at Abrik village in the ravaged zone were critically injured, and their immediate evacuation was a question of life and death. He immediately got airborne to evacuate the injured to Pokhra. Having reached the area he observed that there was no suitable ground available to land the helicopter in the village. He quickly assessed the nearby areas and identified a 'step farming' area which could accommodate the wheels of the helicopter and was accessible from the village. In spite of the fast deteriorating weather and battling heavy odds in the terrain, he remained unfazed and skillfully landed the aircraft on a very restricted area. This professional act of the officer resulted in saving the nine lives. During the entire operations at Nepal, he displayed sterling leadership qualities and exceptional professionalism and grit. He spearheaded many such successful rescue / relief missions despite weather hazards and challenging conditions: He personally flew 63 sorties that resulted in saving 248 lives including 38 critical casualties. He also airlifted 28000 kg of relief material into the affected area. Under his guidance as the Commanding Officer, his unit rescued a total of 373 people, evacuated 53 casualties and supplied 36000 kg of relief material which helped immensely in providing succor to the affected people of Nepal. For exceptional devotion to duty, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vayu Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty) to Wing Commander Suraj Shankar, | |||
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| Reference : Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
The data in the header section of this page comes from the Gazette of India - Click here to see the source
The URL for this page is http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/24037
Note: All the data available here is publicly available in the Gazette of India, published by the Indian Government, or from public domain sources, press releases about Awards and Right-To-Information (RTI) Requests. Additionally data shared by veterans is added to the page with permission. No data with respect to serving officers below the rank of AVM is displayed. Information in Gazette of India and Award citations and photographs as released by the Indian Air Force are the only details displayed.