The Hindu : National : "Quality of training, Army's distinction"

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Wednesday, Nov 03, 2004

National

National

"Quality of training, Army's distinction"

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, NOV. 2 . The armies of many foreign countries are keen to share the Indian Army's high standards of training and versatile combat experience in all types of terrain — from icy Siachen Glacier to the Thar Desert to dense jungles and hilly regions.

"Among them are armies of advanced countries," said Lt. Gen. B.S. Takhar, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Command. He said that the U.S. had participated in a military exercise in India last year and Singapore army units were expected this year.

Exhibition

Lt. Gen. Takhar was here today to review preparations for an exhibition, `Know Your Army,' to be inaugurated by the Maharashtra Governor, Mohammad Fazal.

He told reporters that the training standards were the distinction of the Indian Army. This was underscored by Havildar Palvinder Singh, an instructor at the High Altitude Warfare School, Sonamarg, in Jammu and Kashmir, who has a stall displaying equipment used for living and moving about in the glacier region.

He told this correspondent that a defender had the natural advantage and protection compared to the attacker. In the Kargil War, Pakistani troops had the advantage of having defensive positions on high mountain peaks and hence should have suffered much fewer casualties. But both sides suffered almost equally and this was because of the quality of training the Indian troops had.

The foreign armies were keen on learning how the Indians did that, he said.

The Army has put on display various types of guns and tanks and infantry weapons besides setting up stalls on adventure, recruitment, resettlement and welfare schemes.

Lt. Gen. Takhar said that the idea was to present the citizens a glimpse of life in the Army and to motivate the youth to consider a career in the Army. "Boys go to school and men join the Army," "Be an Army man, be a winner for life," are some of the slogans the soldiers have come up with.

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