Army Chief vists South Western Command, addresses officers

Jaipur: Army Chief General Bikram Singh reviewed the operational preparedness of the South Western Command during his two day visit to Jaipur which ended today. Gen Bikram, accompanied by his wife Bubbles Singh, arrived in Jaipur on Sunday and was received by the South Western Army Commander Lt Gen Arun Kumar Sahni, defence spokesperson SD Goswami said.[caption id=“attachment_1338829” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Indian Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh. AFP[/caption] “The Army Chief during his visit addressed the officers of the Command. While 400 officers were present in Jaipur, the others were addressed through video conferencing,” the spokesperson said in a statement. The Army Chief complimented them on the professionalism exhibited during various exercises, including those with foreign armies. He reiterated the prevailing external and internal security environment and emphasised upon the efforts required to overcome the myriad security challenges. “The COAS stated that transformation and modernization of the armed forces, including induction of state of art equipment and development of network centricity were the prerequisites for operational readiness and excellence,” he said. The Army Chief, who will retire on 31 July, stressed upon the rich military traditions, ethos and the value system and the importance to remain committed and well focused to discharge our onerous responsibilities, while catering for all contingencies, the statement said. PTI