Hyderabad: It was family tradition that was flying high as flight cadets passed out at the Combined Graduation Parade of the 217th course at Air Force Academy in Dundigal near Hyderabad. Also, among the 231 flight cadets commissioned as officers on Saturday, there were 37 women officers and the first batch of women cadets inducted through the National Defence Academy.For Flying Officer Harkirat Singh, the moment marked the continuation of a family tradition spanning three generations. His grandfather served in the Air Force, while his father Group Commander J S Sudan and mother Wing Commander S K Sudan are both serving officers.Expressing pride at seeing her son in uniform, Wing Commander S K Sudan said, “It is an emotional and proud moment for our family. The IAF has been a way of life for us, and seeing the legacy continue into the third generation is deeply satisfying. We are confident he will uphold the values of integrity, discipline and service to the nation.”It’s almost a similar tale of valour in the family for Flying Officer Minakshi Kumari too. The ex-NDA cadet’s father Subedar Major Ravinder Kumar is a JCO in the Army and brother a Captain. The family was beaming watching their daughter in the IAF uniformFor Flight Cadet Divyanshi Singh, her childhood was painted in the hues of the IAF. Her father, a proud air warrior, filled their home with tales of discipline, honour, and selfless service. Little did the young girl know that admiring the uniform from afar would one day lead her to script history. Divyanshi is the first ex-NDA woman cadet to be commissioned into the ground duty branch of the IAF.Having earned her wings, Flying Officer Nidhi Agarwal has taken forward the legacy of both her grandfathers who retired as Flying Officers from the IAF. And in doing so she also realised her father Sudheer Kumar Agarwal’s unfulfilled dream.“I had dreamt of serving the nation in uniform when I was a student, but destiny had different plans. Today, both my daughters have fulfilled that dream. My elder daughter excelled in NCC and Nidhi is now a Flying Officer. They both have made our entire family proud. This would not have been possible without the constant support and encouragement of my wife, who stood by our daughters at every step,” said Sudheer.Reviewing the parade, defence minister Rajnath Singh described the IAF as the nation’s “shield and sword” and praised its role during Operation Sindoor.“Their indomitable spirit and unmatched valour were demonstrated during Operation Sindoor when they destroyed terror hideouts with clarity and precision. The operation succeeded not only because of indigenous platforms but also due to the courage, discipline and training of IAF personnel,” he said.The defence minister urged the newly commissioned officers to stay alert to emerging threats and adapt to rapidly changing technologies in modern warfare. He said future conflicts would increasingly involve drones, satellites, sensors, robotics and cyber systems, requiring officers to take critical decisions within seconds.Singh also highlighted the growing role of women in the armed forces and said the increasing presence of “Nari Shakti” would make the IAF stronger and more balanced.Apart from the IAF officers, nine Indian Navy officers, three Indian Coast Guard officers and two officers from Vietnam were awarded wings, while three officers received brevets after completing navigation training.The ceremony featured a flypast led by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh and displays by the Akash Ganga skydiving team, the all-women “Shakti” drill team, Sarang helicopter display team, Su-30 MKI fighters and the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team.In the awards ceremony, Flying Officer Ashish Kumar Yadav received the President’s Plaque and the Nawanagar Sword of Honour for securing first position in the overall order of merit in the Pilot Course. Flying Officer Ekta Gupta topped the Navigation stream, while Flying Officer Divyanshi Singh secured first place among Ground Duty branches.The newly commissioned officers later marched out to martial tunes after taking the oath to safeguard the sovereignty and honour of the country in the presence of their families.
