The 3-tonner Ride!

In mid 80s, as a Sqn Ldr, Test Engineer from ASTE, I was required to visit Air Force Station Jamnagar. I was to do the preparatory work for our weapon trials to be carried out later. Therefore, I was not with an ASTE trial team, and was required to travel alone by rail.

The onward journey to Jamnagar and the work there were uneventful. However, the return journey had something unexpected in store for me.

I had been working at the MT hangar in Jamnagar, where our trial equipment on wheels was stored. So, I was in good contact with the STO MT and some of his staff. Having given my transport requisition with their knowledge, it was natural for me to expect they would accommodate me on a suitable light vehicle on my return to the Railway Station.

To my surprise, a big 3-tonner arrived at the officers’ mess in the evening. During those times in the Air Force, a 3-tonner, for officers was not an unusual mode of transport. So, without an alarm, I happily pushed my suitcase in the rear and got into the front seat. The drama was only to begin now.

The Civ. MTD told me that it was a Routine Run and would therefore, go around the airmen mess and married quarters area before proceeding to the Railway Station. No issues, since I had a lot of time to catch my train. When we stopped at the airmen married quarters area, a Warrant Officer approached me to say that his wife was unable to climb up the rear. He requested me to let her sit next to me on the front seat. Without hesitation, I got down to let her in. Then feeling a little awkward to join her on the front seat, I asked the Warrant Officer to sit with her. It took a little time and persuasion to get the Warrant Officer to agree, and I happily went around to the rear of the transport.

I was shocked to see that the transport was overflowing with men. There was no place for me, however, I couldn’t afford to miss my train. So, recalling my student days expertise in climbing up the trains through the windows, I began climbing up. That is when a couple of generous hands grabbed me and pulled me in. There was no room to even stand straight, and all through the journey to the Railway Station, I remained in an 80 degrees inclined position, under uniform pressure from all sides.

Profusely sweating, physically strained, and terribly embarrassed, I got down at the Railway Station, picked up my suitcase and moved off without talking to anyone. Everyone was busy with one’s own problems – no one noticed me.

Anonymity was the best option. And I did well to walk off without making a scene. However, it took me a long time to breathe normal after getting into my 1^st class compartment.

I was extremely miffed at our system for pushing me into an insulting situation. I believed that the STO MT had neglected me just because I was way junior to him. It was sad that the Station Adjutant had also not cared to get the feedback about the RR getting overcrowded.

Looking back, I had no one else to blame. The Warrant Officer had no other option but to request me to accommodate his wife. And it was I who had persuaded him to change places with me. The airmen at the rear had thought of me as a fellow airman. The roughed-up treatment to me was something that they all were going through.

A lesson stayed with me throughout - to care for juniors, who did not have senior officers’ weight behind them and who did not demand anything.

God bless all !

Pramod Athawale

 

Sqn Ldr Was A Big man Then!

The AVSC gave us many more Generals. Alas! The Major lost his glory!

Air Force Station Pune, being the nearest IAF operational base for Bollywood, was a popular location for shooting films based on Air Force life. An anecdote  from the 1970s goes as follows. The director had a genuine doubt. He asked one of my squadron seniors, “A squadron is commanded by a Wing Commander, and the Wing is commanded by an Air Cmde. Then what do Sqn Ldrs command?” The Sqn Ldr smiled and replied, “Well, we command respect.”

Until the turn of the century, a Major, and likewise his equivalent, a Sqn Ldr was a big man. Among junior officers in the Air Force, Pilot Officers and Flying Officers were not required to ‘Sir’ and salute Flight Lieutenants. Therefore, attaining the rank of Sqn Ldr was a big change as one began receiving salutes from a whole lot of squadron boys. Thereon, one remained a Sqn Ldr for many years before consideration for the select rank of Wg Cdr.

On my first posting to 10 Sqn, Maruts, I was formally received by my Flt Cdr, who was officiating for the Sqn Cdr. I always remained respectfully in awe of him. Jodhpur, one of the biggest stations then, had Wing Commanders as O/C Flying, CTO, S Adm O and SLO, besides the Squadron Commanders. The next in the rung, Flight Commanders were Squadron Leaders, and considered operational pillars of the base. Later, when I was in 6 Sqn, with twin Super Connie and Canberra flights, we had a few more Sqn Ldrs besides the Flt Commanders and Nav Leaders. They were all my revered seniors.

The steeply enhanced inductions post 1962 war began showing adverse effects on promotions in late 1970s. A much-needed policy informally called ‘Deep Selection’ was introduced to ensure that officers did not stagnate while waiting in the queue for promotions. With few vacancies for Wing Commanders, many professionally acclaimed officers missed promotions. By now, having nearly completed the mandatory 20 years’ service for pension, many of them decided to prematurely retire as Squadron Leaders. Their professional dignity did not permit them to continue as superseded officers for a few more years to go out as time scale Wing Commanders. Thanks to the ethos of service, irrespective of the rank at the time of retirement, all those officers continued to be highly respected by their veteran colleagues as well as the serving officers.

A big change, however, took place around the year 2004. The military wished to get at par with the civil police and paramilitary forces, whose rank structures had gone up manifold. It was proposed to make armed forces younger by promoting officers early to take up higher responsibilities. The Ajay Vikram Singh Committee recommended a change in service terms and conditions, to now promote all officers much earlier and by time  to the rank of Wg Cdr. And all those who later missed the select promotion to Gp Capt would now become Group Captains by the time scale. So, all permanent commission officers staying on for pensionable service, now retire at least as Group Captains. With roughly half as much service as the old timer Squadron Leaders, today, the short service officers also go out as Wing Commanders..

Within the constraints of limited vacancies and the slow rate of growth of our military, early promotions could not give officers holding higher ranks adequate responsibility and authority. We do now have Group Captains as Squadron Commanders as well as Flight Commanders. Notwithstanding that, all services have adapted well to the revised rank structure. Officers are happy to don higher ranks and enjoy better salaries early.

However, there has been an extremely adverse impact on those veterans who retired as Squadron Leaders after significant contribution to the Air Force for over 20 years. The downward shift of the rank structure scale finds them standing alongside today’s officers who have put in under 10 years of commissioned service.

The old timer Sqn Ldr’s service seniority should correspond to that of today’s Wg Cdr or Gp Capt. However, with pensions determined on the basis of rank held at the time of retirement, his pension is substantially lower than that of a Wing Commander.

One comes across only a few of these old time veterans today. Everytime I greet one with a smart salute, I am reminded of my most admired Flight Commanders. Sad, that “The rank of Sqn Ldr has lost its grandeur!”

Pramod Athawale