FOR DISTINGUISHED services of the most exceptional order in the Indian Air Force, the President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam has conferred the highest peacetime award of Param Vishisht Seva Medal upon Air Marshal JS Gujral, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the prestigious Central Air Command, Allahabad at a recently held Defence Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan on March 23.
Air Marshal JS Gujral, PVSM, VM, VSM hails from Mumbai where he did his early schooling. Having developed a passion for flying, he decided to join the IAF and got commissioned on December 31, 1967 as a fighter pilot.
He has flown a wide range of fighter aircraft held in the IAF inventory, including modern fighter aircraft like SU-30 and Mirage-2000. He has over 4,000 hours of accident-free flying to his credit and actively participated in 1971 Indo-Pak war in the Western Sector.He has held a number of important appointments at Air Force Headquarters and Command Headquarters. He was the Defence Attaché at the Embassy of India in the Czech republic from 1994 to 1997. He has also served in the joint organisation of Defence Planning Staff.
Prior to his promotion as AOC-in-C, CAC, he was the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff at Air Headquarters, New Delhi from April 2004 onwards.He is a graduate of the Defence Service Staff College and has done long defence management and higher command courses. As a part of defence policy group for defence co-operation with US and UK, he co-chaired three important military sub-committee meetings in India and abroad.For his distinguished service, earlier he had been commended by the Chief of the Air Staff.
{{/usCountry}}Prior to his promotion as AOC-in-C, CAC, he was the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff at Air Headquarters, New Delhi from April 2004 onwards.He is a graduate of the Defence Service Staff College and has done long defence management and higher command courses. As a part of defence policy group for defence co-operation with US and UK, he co-chaired three important military sub-committee meetings in India and abroad.For his distinguished service, earlier he had been commended by the Chief of the Air Staff.
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