THE ADJUTANT IS COMING !
“Flt Lt Aspy Engineer took over command of No.2 Squadron and the highly regarded Flt Lt Habibullah ‘Bulbul’ Khan took over as Adjutant.” That’s the description of June 1941 happenings in his book “The Forgotten Few” by KS Nair. The Adjutant was indeed a very important man in the squadron.
The Indian Air Force has seen gradual changes over many years. The method of naming units prefixed by the word “No.” got changed apparently without a written order. Somewhere after the 80s, we started writing “1 Wing” and “2 Wing” instead of “No. 1 Wing” and “No. 2 Wing”. They later became Air Force Stations Srinagar and Air Force Station Pune respectively.
Over the years, the Sqn Adjutant role has been given to one of the younger pilots in the Sqn. The Flight Commander, as next in seniority to the Squadron Commander, has assumed the most vital role. At the squadron/ unit level, the Adjutant’s vacancy is adjusted within the unit specialist establishment. In flying squadrons, the Adjutant is one of the aircrews, whereas in the other ground units, he is one of the specialist officers.
On the contrary, Wing or Station Adjutants are Admin branch Flt Lt or Sqn Ldr rank officers. Although there are many seniors on the station, the Station Adjutants wield a distinct authority uncommon with the Sqn Adjutants. All administrative functions are under the purview of the CAdmO. And yet, the Stn Adjt has maintained his preeminent position especially in relation to the airmen.
Humour in uniform has been a part of all our service lives. I recall an incident when, as a senior Gp Capt, I got the taste of the Adjutant’s authority. I was posted to Command a joint services unit, the Defence Standardisation Cell Pune, located at Aundh. It was the first time when an Air Force officer was posted there. My posting signal indicated me being care of Air Force Station Pune for admin services. The only two houses built for DS Cell Pune in Aundh were occupied by two Lt Cols already posted there. So, after looking around for MES hired accommodation in town, I found vacant married accommodation in Air Force Station Pune as the best option. Now, I drove out my Maruti-800 a long distance every morning for work and was unknown to the system out there in Lohegaon.
My authorised residential civil telephone would take a few months to get connected. And the station couldn’t find a spare line to give me at home. So, I had to drive out to the local Air Force shopping complex frequently and join the queue to make calls from a telephone STD booth. The booth was run by a civilian contractor.
One evening, after a long wait for my turn, I found my first two dialled numbers engaged. So, I began dialling a third number. It was then that I was interrupted by the booth owner saying, “Please finish, the Adjutant is coming!” The importance of the Station Adjutant was brought home to me instantly.
There was no point telling the booth owner that I was a very senior officer. Anonymity was the most respectful way out for me. I surrendered to the authority of the Adjutant.
Cheers!
