C'est- La-Vie :A SIC Pilot’s Perspective

Below is an article I wrote, conveying the frustrations and thoughts a SIC would have out here flying for the UN.

SICness (sic) and I…..

I am a SIC Pilot and everyone treats me like one. I dream to some day loose this tag of being SIC and hope to pick up the status of PIC. You must all be wondering if I’ve gone bonkers talking about sickness and Picking on others. Before I am misunderstood, let me put things in the right perspective. My SIC status has nothing to do with sickness or illness and PIC has nothing to do on picking on others. PIC is an acronym for Second-In-Command (a term used in lieu of the more familiar word, co-pilot which we generally refer to, back home) and PIC stands for Pilot-In-Command or Captain Status. Though my routine appears to be dull and monotonous, it has its own thrills and adventures. My daily routine too is full of events and incidents which would make the daily grind of a beast of burden feel tame

The story of my survival……………

My preparation for a sorties starts with obtaining the DFS (Daily Flying Schedule) from the Brigade, the evening prior to the day of the sortie. After this, I contact the PIC and try to convince him to put me on the flying programme, if there is a sortie the next day. Convincing him of the need for me to fly a sortie is the least of my problems. My next step would be to obtain a set of maps of the area to be covered. With limited availability of maps of DRC, this again is a problem of gigantic proportions. A little bit of intelligence (read smart act) and anticipation would ensure that I have at least one set of maps before others “manage” these for themselves. Once the quest for maps is complete, I prepare the route for the sortie and feed in the coordinates into the GPS. This is easier said than done. Most of the times the names of places to be flown over, do not exist on the map. Even if they do, they are approximate (I’m serious mind you-it is actually so and the same is written on the map with an annotation- “places and altitudes indicated on the map are approximate”).

The next step is to obtain the target details and threat level expected in the target area. This is mandatory to configure the ac with suitable armament and to plan altitudes to be flown at. Once this is done, I can lie back and relax. Oh no, not yet! There are other things to be done. I have to calculate the fuel required to be carried so that at the end of the sortie I am able to advise His Lordship -the PIC to rejoin back at N’dromo with a safe specified fuel figure. Once this is done, I inform the EO (Engineering Officer) regarding the fuel requirement and readiness time of the AH. Once this is done, now I can actually relax. But what the heck, I’ve got up early tomorrow and conduct PT for the contingent personnel at 0600 hrs for the contingent personnel (Thank God SICs are not detailed to do guard duty out here in DRC).

Yet another day ………

Early morn, before the sun rises in the east, over Lake Albert, the Vipers are up and ready for the PT. A report at six sharp and we are on our way for a four kilometre jog. Once we reach back at helipad, I conduct PT for the next 20 minutes. I try to keep it brisk and quick by combining SALSA and SAMBA and converting these into some kind of PT steps. This is required you know, in order to avoid pot bellies and obese air warriors. Well, that is as far as the PT goes.

After this starts my tryst with met and intelligence. I obtain met briefing from Goma and Bunia at double time and summarise the SIT REP to be covered in the morning briefing for the aircrew. A quick bath followed by a couple of slices of bread and I am in the briefing room. At 0800 hrs sharp I commence by briefing on met, int and other related points.

Up and away my SIC status takes me ……..

About 15 mts before the take off (thanks to the helipad being close to the briefing room) my PIC and I walk to the aircraft. I get a break of about 10 mts in the aircraft where I take a quick nap in the aircraft if it’s my lucky day (the manufacturer of Mi-25 has given minimal jobs to the Cojo during start up and taxi except opening the check list and following the events occurring in the oblivion, somewhere behind me).

Once the take off is accomplished my life is again made miserable, what with handling R/T, keeping a sharp lookout for obstruction and ac, passing ETAs and looking out for hostile intent (whatever that means). The route flying part is relatively easy we climb to sufficient heights and cruise like a fixed wing. The tough part comes in, in the combat zone. Here I have so many jobs that I wish I had four hands, six pairs of eyes, two pairs of ears and at least two brains to collate the information inputs that are available and to make life a wee bit safer.

I have to look out for hostile intent (not against!), militia fire, own troops disposition, likely militia hide outs and HQs, civilians (ROE requirement you see, we have to avoid civilian causalities at all cost and no collateral damage is acceptable), keep in touch with ground force commander (via Icom VHF set), take photographs for AMR (After Mission Report), guide the PIC onto the target, advice him of the areas where own troops are present (no fratricide acceptable at any cost), the list goes on and on but I do not want to bore you with nitty-gritties involved.

Once I have done all this, my next task is to give correct inputs to my PIC so that he can deliver the ammunition accurately onto the target (I have no problems with that but then he gets all the credit for the good scores, and if something goes wrong, I some how get to be blamed).

Once the mission is complete, we route back to base following a tactical routing (which generally is as the crow flies, due to the ac invariably being low on fuel) and we land back at the N’dromo helipad.

One might tend to think my work is over when I get off the helicopter, but hold your horses. It’s not over yet. There is something called as AMR or after mission report, to be submitted before the sun down. This is a consolidated report which covers the salient aspects of the sortie including the number and type of ammunition fired, who the ground commander behaved, how the militia responded, and damage caused by the munition etc.

Well that’s it folks. My AMR has been filed on the Lotus (UN mailing net) and now I can go and relax. But wait, what’s this? The DFS for tomorrow is just coming through and there is a fire support sortie to Loga tomorrow. Guys you will have to excuse me noe. I still have time before someone else reaches the PIC (Dett Cdr) and cajoles him for this sortie. Hope fully, with a little bit of luck, I will be able to convince him for this sortie for tomorrow.

Will write in to tell you if I was successful, till then see you.

PS- Did I tell you that my PIC has nothing much to do here except a few odd jobs like going to the Bde HQ for lengthy briefs, vet my Shoddy AMRs, tie up for the weekly trg sorties with difficult people who do not want to permit any, liaise with the MONUC for all our daily needs from food and water to hygiene needs etc, etc. Actually let me tell you something, on second thoughts I think my Status of SIC is not too bad after all, as uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

A post on the Power of Informal Groups

New Evidence of the Power of Informal Groups

Anyone who's been around organizations for very long knows that the formal "org chart" doesn't tell you much about how things really get done. And for years sociologists and other social scientists have studied informal networks and emergent groups in organizations to develop a better understanding of communication patterns, identify the "real" leaders, and sort out how work really gets done.

Maybe it isn't new, but now a couple of HP researchers have compiled some really intriguing data about informal groups and networks by doing the obvious - studying patterns of email traffic.
The study, reported recently in ComputerWorld, found that informal groups that developed around informal experts and communicated openly about a problem generally outperformed formal experts who were attacking the same issue.

Why am I not surprised? The troops always know who the "real" experts are; often they are far better informed than the managers who "anoint" the people THEY think are capable of getting the job done.

So why don't more organizations open up their problem-solving and tap the power of everyone who cares? I heard of one CEO who woke up to the power of inclusiveness one day and declared, "I just realized that 5,000 people are a whole lot smarter than 5" - the size of his executive committee. And when he created processes that enabled those 5,000 employees to toss their ideas and suggestions into the corporate crucible, the company's performance got a whole lot better.

Why do organizations seem so oblivious to the intelligence and expertise of so many of their members? Sure, it's messy and often time-consuming to get everyone involved - but the results are often astounding.

What if the collective intelligence (and energy) embodied in ongoing informal conversations across the entire organization could somehow be tapped to address pressing corporate challenges?

I'll bet we'd see some pretty astounding results if other CEO's were willing to do what Sam Palmisano at IBM has done several times now - hold a "jam session" intense dialogue with thousands of IBM'ers all over the world, all at the same time.

Think about that.

You can find it here:

http://www.thefutureofwork.net/blog/archives/000188.html

Hope it is of some use.

:-0

Taking Fire : On A Wing And A Prayer

My Flying Experiences In DR Congo

I am not a very religious person, by nature, but my experiences in the DRC have given a different meaning to the phrase “on a wing and a prayer”, and has taught me a lot about trusting and depending on forces beyond our control. For a pilot who is trained in a very different setup with a set of rules and regulations that are constantly updated and the monitoring is strict, the ball game in the DRC is very different.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a beautiful country when seen from the air. A green carpet (ironically the color of Peace and tranquility) adorns its vast lands interspersed with hills all over. On the landside lie quaint little villages, seeming to nestle comfortably at the base of the hills. The country has abundance of water and timber, gold and diamonds, copper and Coltan (the mineral from which cell phone chips are made). And yet for all that – in part because of all that – fundamental conditions of life here are pitiful.

Given the vastness of the country and the lack of road and railway networks, there is often no other way of getting around, other than flying. In addition to this it has its own share of woes (may be more than its rightful share). Though the entire country is plagued with strife on ground, there is so much of uncontrolled air traffic that it would make the air traffic over Heathrow airport look tame. Although there are some formal passenger airlines criss-crossing its skies, there appears to be a lot of informal stuff going on as well. Piloting therefore becomes a bit perilous in this region. This is accentuated by other problems like different agencies operating with differing languages, occupying and using the same airspace, lack of Airport infrastructure, a total absence of Controlling Radars etc.

Air Traffic Control

The quality of air traffic services in this strife torn region leaves a lot to be desired. There is a dearth of proficient air traffic controllers. A majority of controllers and technicians who fled the region following the Rwanda crisis and Ugandan intervention have not yet returned and whatever equipment could be salvaged provides the operators with the rudimentary services. Pilots have to rely on their own skills and the equipment onboard to negotiate traffic, weather and obstacles. Exceptions to this are air fields where MONUC has provided controllers’ alongwith the ASUs. An example of this is Bunia where the ATC controllers are proficient and one is reminded of the basic services that we miss so often. My first sortie in the Bunia sector reminded me of flying back home under the control of professional controllers of BANAIR ASU.

Such hazards are inevitable in a country with no decent infrastructure to speak of, no substantial railway networks, for example, in a country that is as vast as the whole of Western Europe. To fly from point A to B within a reasonable time frame you have to take your chances, keeping a sharp lookout and hoping that eye ball mark-1 spots these unguided aircrafts before they can feel you physically and result in what is called a mid-air. If such incidents ever happened in the skies over Europe or America the outcry would have gone on for weeks. Heads would have rolled and safety standards would have been ostentatiously upgraded.

Weather

One of the things that makes flying in Africa such a challenge is that things can and do go wrong. In an age of electronic gadgetry, which has taken a lot of the thrill out of flying, the pilot is often left with nothing but his own knowledge and skill to get himself into a tight corner. The danger that actually exists, and which is always present, is provided by the hazards offered by rough terrain and soft surfaces, and by hidden obstacles. And there are often torrential rainstorms near the Equator and equally violent storms along the edge of the lakes.

All pilots flying in DRC have had their own heart-in-the-mouth moments. Storms, fog and low clouds will bother you from time to time, but once in a while you get yourself into an avoidable situation defying the definition of a superior pilot which goes something like, “A superior pilot is one who uses his superior judgment to stay out of situations which require him to use his superior skills”. This happens when you get caught in a marginal fuel situation due to weather, diversion, enter a thunderstorm or have to put the helicopter down in a place where there is no place to do so due to poor visibility or rains.

Technical Practices

Harsh environment, coupled with weather conditions lead to frequent technical problems and breakdown of components. This adds to the pressures on the maintenance and technical staff who are already hampered by non-availability of established maintenance infrastructure. While the technical staff try and do keep these machines flying, in a long run these aircrafts suffer from facing the vagaries of the equatorial weather. The remoteness of deployment also lends its hand in delays in procurement of badly needed spares and it is a wonder how these mere mortals keep us flying up in the sky despite facing so many obstacles.

War Zone

The name Peace keeping/Peace enforcement is a misnomer. These days the UN military forces are involved in an all out war with the renegade militiamen after the 01 Apr 05 deadline of surrender of weapons. The whole of eastern DRC in general and Ituri sector in a particular is what can be termed as a war zone, and Flying in a war zone is inherently dangerous. There is a constant threat from the militiamen who are armed with an assortment of weapons. These range from primitive machetes to modern state of art anti-aircraft guns, and do pose a “small” amount of threat to the attack helicopters which fly over these hostile areas.

Terrain

While terrain is not the least of the problems in the DR Congo, it does impose some degree of difficulty in helicopter operations. The terrain in the eastern DRC is undulating, varying from 700m in the vicinity of the great lakes to over 2.5 kms over the adjoining ridges. These features, coupled with a rapid build-up of clouds, make the flying hazardous. Flying in this region, one often needs t o land on dirt/grass pads. These can often lead to interesting approaches for obstacle clearance. In addition another problem that persists is the non-availability of landing areas to put down the helicopter in an emergency. This is because of the Triple Canopied dense jungles covering most parts of this region. This is discounting the fact that there could be a ‘reception committee’ to welcome the helicopter upon landing comprising of the belligerents.

Environment

Then there are elements, which bother you at regular intervals. These include bird hazard, insects and animals. It is not uncommon to find an elephant or a herd of wild animals finding a convenient resting place on the intended helipad. Feathered birds too time their arrival along with the ETA of the helicopter. Since they have the right of way and also the fact that they were there before Wright brothers’ decided to fly, one has to cater for this menace by keeping them at arm’s length. Insects might appear to be too insignificant, but a million grasshoppers or a large swarm of locusts in the path of the helicopter could result in significant damage to the rotor blades which move close to the speed of sound. Even though we consider the Mi-25 to be “more durable than concrete”, the size and density of these flying bullets does not leave much scope to the helicopter to take avoidance action.

Let not the pessimism in this write up discourage you, because it is under such situations when the pilot is in his elements. Flying in this region often requires hasty improvisations and rapid innovations. The knowledge that somebody out there is all set to shoot at you does not make things any comfortable. The need here is of a Pilot who not only is aware of the situation that he is in, but is on the top of it. That’s the reason the cliché “ On A Wing And A Prayer” holds a lot of meaning to a pilot flying in the DRC

"Happy Hovering to You" - Until We Meet Again

This one is for my Wife

The Air Force Wife

The Air Force wife is a special individual.

When she was a girl, her dreams were bold, as bold as her fine, free gaze; And every gift of grace and mind was hers in her younger days.

When she was a girl, a golden girl, with a soul as fine as fire.

She could outshine the brightest jewel that a rich man's love might buy her.

Yes hers could have been the glittering path through a careless, carefree life.

But she fell in love with an aviator, so she became an Air Force wife.

Away from the home of her childhood she marched at her husband's side, For she chose a wide and winding road when she became a bride.

And sometimes the road was a hard one, so different from what she had planned; And sometimes she wept for the home she had left as she lay in a foreign land; And sometimes her steps would grow weary as she followed the drum and the fife; But she set about making the world her home because she was a Air Force wife.

She learned to build a hearth for them wherever her man was sent; And she knelt to plant a garden every time he pitched their tent.

Yes, she always planted a garden though she never saw it grow, For she knew before the flowers came that she would have to go.

But she left each garden gladly though it cut her like a knife, For she hoped it might bring some comfort to another Air Force wife.

To the hardships in her married life she brought one simple truth, A promise that once was spoken in the ancient words : "Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Thy people shall be my people and thy God shall be my God."

She shared his joys and sorrows as they made their way through life, For she was proud to love a soldier and to be a Air Force wife.

She bore the weight of worrying what fate might hold in store; And the wordless fear of waiting when her soldier went to war; And the nights that she spent fearing that her waiting was in vain; And the pain of wanting someone she might never hold again.

But she bore his children gladly through uncertainty and strife, And they never heard her crying for she was a Air Force wife.

She raised a military family with the faith her love had taught her; And she gave the pride she had inside to her son and to her daughter; And she taught them to love freedom and to know what it was worth, As they helped her plant her gardens in the corners of the earth.

And she never wished for better than the road they marched through life,
Because she was as much a soldier as she was a Air Force wife.

Thank You CMU for being my wife

Murphy's laws of Combat...as applicable to Helicopter Operations in UN

Here are some genuine Murphy's Laws from me(ofcourse with a little bit of help from dear Murphy):

1. If the militia is in range, so are you.

2. Incoming fire has the right of way.

3. Don't look conspicuous, it draws fire.

4. There is always a way.

5. The easy way is always mined.

6. Try to look menacing; the militia may be low on ammo.

7. Professionals are predictable; it's the amateurs (militia) that are dangerous.

8. The militia invariably attacks on two occasions:
a. when you're ready for them.
b. when you're not ready for them.

9. Never draw fire, it irritates everyone around you.

10. Anything you do can get you shot at, including nothing.

11. Make it tough enough for the enemy to get in and you won't be able to get out.

12. Never fly with anyone braver than yourself.

13. If you're short of everything but the militia, you're in a combat zone.

14. When you have secured an area, don't forget to tell the militia or they might just land up there.

15. Friendly fire isn't.

16. If the Un (own) ground troops can see you, so can the militia.

17. Remember, a retreating militiaman is probably just falling back and regrouping.

18. If at first you don't succeed call in an additional Attack Helicopter.

19. Exceptions prove the rule, and destroy the OP Order.

20. The enemy never watches until you make a mistake, then he takes a potshot at you.

21. Whenever you have plenty of ammo, you never miss. Whenever you are low on ammo, you can't hit the broad side of a militia camp.

22. The lesser the number of spares of a particular components, the more likely it will fail.

23. Operational experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

24. No matter which way you have to fly, its always upwind.

25. For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.

26. The one item you need, is always in short supply.

27. The worse the weather, the more you are required to be out in it.

28. The complexity of a weapon is inversely proportional to the IQ of the weapon's operator.

29. Rockets always overshoot the target, Mortars always falls short.

30. When reviewing the radio frequencies that you just wrote down, the most important ones are always illegible.

31. When you have sufficient supplies & ammo, the enemy takes 2 weeks to attack. When you are low on supplies & ammo the enemy decides to attack the same day.

32. Warning shots won’t warn and Suppressive fires – don’t supress the enemy.

33. If it's stupid but it works, it isn't stupid

34. When in doubt empty the pods on the enemy.

35. The important things are always simple

36. The simple things are always hard

37. Radio set will fail as soon as you need fire support desperately.

38. Tracers work both ways(they show their path as well as yours).

39. The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming
friendly fire.

40. If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.

Been busy of late

Dear bloggy,

Been really peroccupied offlate. Life has become a spiral in the recent days and the turn has been tightening by the moment. I shall write in as soon as get some breathing space. Till then leaving you with a few thoughts to ponder on (Disclaimer: These have been borrowed and do not represent my state of mind):-

THINK

1. A person's true character is revealed by what he does when no one is watching.

2. Some people complain because God put thorns on roses, while others praise him for putting roses among thorns.

3. Although the tongue weighs very little, very few people are able to hold it.

4. Falling down doesn't make you a failure, but staying down does.

5. Don't be afraid of pressure. Remember that pressure is what turns a lump of coal into a diamond.

6. Even a woodpecker owes his success to the fact that he uses his head.
7. The poorest of all men is not the man without a cent but the man without a dream.

8. The only preparation for tomorrow is the right use of today.
9. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

10. Temper is what gets most of us into trouble. Pride is what keeps us there.

11. The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little "extra".

12. The heart is the happiest when it beats for others.

13. One thing you can learn by watching the clock is that it passes time by keeping its hands busy.

Character of U.N. peacekeeping has changed

Came across a news item on UN By Sandeep Dikshit in TOI

India has pointed out that since U.N. peacekeeping missions in the post-cold war tend to escalate into `peace-enforcing' operations, the troop strength should be large and suitably equipped with lethal equipment such as armoured personnel carriers, attack helicopters and artillery.

The views have been expressed at a time when the U.N. has passed a resolution on a multinational force for Iraq under a unified command.

The post-cold era not only saw an increase in outside intervention but the character of U.N. missions also changed. Most of them began as peacekeeping operations but escalated to peace enforcement because they "invariably lacked the consent of both sides", noted a study providing the Indian perspective to U.N. peacekeeping operations.

Dividing U.N. peacekeeping operations into two phases — during the cold war and post cold war, it says the consent of both parties was obtained during the first phase, so peacekeeping missions were fewer, smaller and lightly armed.

In the post-cold era, not only did the number of U.N.-led interventions increased, but most of them escalated to peace enforcement. This was because they "invariably lacked the consent of both sides", noted an internal paper providing the Indian perspective to U.N. peacekeeping.

The post cold war tendency of U.N. operations to become messier due to the lack of consent by the other side involved in the conflict requires a larger troops presence because a smaller detachment is generally considered weak and invites attack by the other side.

Many missions such as those in Congo, Somalia and Congo suffered escalations from peacekeeping to peace enforcement and a concomitant expansion in the size and scope of the contingent.

India had rich experience of participating in peacekeeping missions and its troops were not deterred by the difficulty of the task.

It has provided 10 force commanders and three deputy commanders and 109 Indian personnel have so far sacrificed their lives in U.N. peacekeeping operations. Indian troops were totally committed to the overall aim of U.N. missions.

India had always held the view that many instances of peacekeeping units from other countries awaiting orders from their national commanders before executing U.N. orders "needs to be discouraged''.

The main shortcoming in U.N. missions was training. Peculiar situations that could arise must be war-gamed and response options clearly laid down. But institutes to conduct such studies were rare.

Countries should emulate the Centre for U.N. Peacekeeping jointly set up in India by the Ministries of Defence and External Affairs since U.N. missions are distinct from conventional operations and need-specialised training.

Cost of War in Iraq

Cost of the War in Iraq
$180,502,527,180
To see more details, click here.
inc_totals_at_rate (750);

A link to the previous post

UN mission in Congo condemns killing of peacekeeper


The UN peacekeeping mission in Congo MONUC condemned Saturday in Kigali the killing of a Nepalese peacekeeper in Ituri Brigade.

According to a UN press release, the peacekeeper was seriously injured at Rakpa, a locality situated 65 km northeast of Bunia in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, whilst the platoon under his command was securing the take-off of a helicopter transporting MONUC civilian staff.

As the helicopter transporting the civilian staff was ready to launch, armed men opened fire on the aircraft which nevertheless managed to take off and safely brought all those onboard back to the town of Mahagi, said the press release.

The peacekeeping platoon immediately returned fire allowing the civilian helicopter to take off safely. Four peacekeepers were injured during this firefight.

"MONUC rushed in reinforcement, including a MI25 combat helicopter, which facilitated the evacuation of the injured and the extraction of the two helicopters transporting the Nepalese troops," the statement added.

The four injured peacekeepers were admitted in Bunia hospital, where one of them died at Friday night.

Altogether, eleven peacekeepers of MONUC Ituri Brigade have been killed in attacks by militia members since the beginning of the year. Most of them killed are Bangladesh.

You can read the story here:

http://english.people.com.cn/200506/05/eng20050605_188559.html

We lost a Dear Friend Recently in DR Congo

COURAGE UNDER FIRE


We lost a dear friend from Nepal recently in Congo. He lost his life trying to save the life of civilians from UN and his men, from the militia. He was courage personified. May god bless his soul. We tried to protect him and we nearly did. He caught a bullet at the end of the day when he was safely inside the helicopter and was about to be evacuated out to safety along with his men. Below is a story of the brave man on the eventful day.

The peacekeepers go where even angels fear to tread. The strife torn Ituri district of Congo, after having seen a list of anarchy and bloodshed, was seemingly returning to normalcy. But how wrong were all of us.The militia culture was too deep rooted and at this point we had just scraped the earth’s surface. The killing and warring had started off again – it seemed as if God had left his own country, so it was no surprise that the Angles should fear to tread………

As for the Peacekeepers – they were fighting ….. Fighting again all odds, fighting against the densest jungles and un-crossable rivers, fighting against the incessant rains and inhospitable terrain, fighting against a ruthless militia and the zombie-ed populace. But then they were not supposed to fight !!! They were peacekeepers – the harbingers of peace and prosperity (read decent food, clean water, some clothing) for the war torn common Congolese.

Major Kabindra (the king of poets) Jung Thapa was one such component of the Integrated’ Ituri Bde, trying to make peace with the extenuating circumstances. The Fighting Forces of Indian subcontinent, the Bangladeshis, the Pakistanis, the Nepalese, Moroccans and a small detachment of the South African – had made this area a smallish cosmos. If we Indians were from Mars, the Moroccans were from Venus – only sign language survived – just like the cave man times. Thankfully in a friendly atmosphere, if you showed two fingers to somebody it only meant that you wanted a Smoke(Cig).

But Maj Thapa – or KJ – as he was called by his pears – was briefing his troops in some other sign language in the wee hours of 02 Jun 05 – the signs used in the combat zone. It will work out fine he told to himself – ‘It was just another regular mission to keep the Human Rights (HR) Verification team out of harms way while they did – whatever they did!!! The place chosen on that fateful day was Lugo – a sleepy hamlet (all of them always appeared deceptively sleepy).

At 33 years, the Major was fit as a fiddle – and was into his second UN tenure (his first at Congo). The first one was during the Lebanon crisis in 2000/2001 wherein he served in the United Nations Interim Force as a Signals Officer. As they climbed the Bangladesh Air Force Helicopters, Maj Thapa saw his troops were relaxed but ready for another peaceful mission.

As the Mi-17 dropped them onto the Eastern Edge of the small village – an evil feeling crept into him and his thoughts ran back to his wife of 5 months. But he had work to do, so he forced them away and concentrated on the job at hand. The Indian Attack Helicopter Mi-25 was hovering above them and the troops were inserted in a peaceful manner – rather too peaceful for his comfort. As the HR Team moved under protection towards the village – they were not too surprised to find it uninhabited. Villagers around this place were known to hide in the bushes at the first sight of trouble.

Maj Thapa was filled with a foreboding and his fears were confirmed when sparodic firing started from the edge of the village. Maj Thapa quickly cordoned off the civilians and escorted them to the football field where they had been dropped initially. The Helipad was well protected by the UN troops and as the Mi-25 had gone back to Bunia after their insertion, he knew he would have to hold on for some time till help arrived in the form of reinforcements (fresh troops) and the ever-dependable Mi-25, nicknamed the "Firebirds". His SOS to Mahagi was answered in the form of a Russian Mi-8, who landed amidst the crossfire and took off with all the civilians of the HR team. Soon after take off, the pilot experienced problems in one of the engine and had to shut it down. He managed to ‘Hack’ a single Engine landing at Mahagi Airfield. Inspection revealed damage to compressor blades of the engine due to bullet hit.

Meanwhile the first Mi-25 (we the Indian Air Force component) reached overhead. They spotted some of the troops huddled into a corner of the football field and the rest were deployed around the field for protection. But no Radio contact – what the hell…these pongos (a slang for the army guys) would never learn – so thought both the pilots. Later it came to light that in their scramble to safety the I.Com (Radio) set had been misplaced !!! Now Mi-25 was overhead but without any communication and direction – it was as blind as a bat.

Things came to a boil as the Mi-25 observed about twenty odd militia moving towards the football field – with no communications it was not possible to ascertain their motive and therefore opening of fire was out of question. - Blame it on the rules of engagement (ROE) – “THOU SHALL NOT FIRE” was cardinal principle – the only exception being if the troops or MONUC (an acronym for the UN Force in Congo) installations were being fired at.

With bullets whizzing past him Maj Thappa’s frustrations knew no bounds as he was not able to call upon the Mi-25 fire. He finally called his bravest soldiers to retrace their steps in order to recover the radio set.

The militias were smart – they saw the Mi-25 generally meandering around without posing any threat to them hence decided to move in for a kill. The Mi-25 had to intervene, hence the pilot ascertained that there were no troops close to the western edge of football filed – Fratricide had to be avoided at all costs – ‘Second rule of engagement’.

As the Mi-25 was about to roll in for a warning shot (ROE dictat) – the radio crackled to life –"Buddha for Firebird". It was Maj Thapa – his Bahadurs had managed to recover the radio set. He thereafter gave the position of his own troops to the Mi-25 and directed fire against the militia. Dive after dive – rocket after rocket – the militia started retreating – the Mi-25s had yet again saved the day, or so we thought, and saved the two platoons from a certain annihilation.

As the rockets pounded the militia locations Maj Thapa heaved a sigh of relief – little knowing that his troubles were only temporarily offset. Bullets were still coming towards his troops intermittently, in what seemed like unaimed Firing. But he held on and chided his troops towards being alert to all danger. While taking stock of the situation he came to know that two of his soldiers were had been hit and were suffering from bullet wounds. He immediately saw to it that they were escorted to a relatively safe place and given first aid.

Meanwhile the Mi-25 was at the Fringes of its endurance and had expended all its armament. Thankfully the firing had stopped for a while. They were relieved to see the other Mi-25 taking over. The moment the other MI-25 took over, the firing started again. This time it was from a thicket close to the football field. The MI-25 let go a volley of rockets and saw the militia scampering to safety. But the militia were resilient, they kept coming in hordes dodging to safety when the Mi-25 fired, andcoming out again and firing at the troops the moment they got an opportunity.

Maj Thapa was finding the going tough and he knew he was running out of time. He was slowly running out of ammo, his troops were tired and some were injured. The MI-35 transmitted the welcome news of the Mi-17s airborne from Mahagi to pick Major’s troops to safety. He had done well to hold off the militia, who had outnumbered his men in the ratio 1: 4. But something was nagging him – his Gorkha blood would not reconcile to the militias being let off so easily. And so he arranged for a spectacular finale ..............

Maj Thapa – ‘Firebird – could you come for a dive attack in the westerly direction? – But do not fire’. The MI-25 pilots were zapped with this strange request therefore the captain asked "confirm you don't want us to fire?"

Maj Thapa – "That’s Right sir, only a dummy run, when I give you a call 'NOW' but please do not fire".

He lined up his troops from one end of the football field to the other – the the AH pilots watched in awe and wondered as to what the Major was upto. On his call of “now” the Mi-25 put the aircraft in a dive and what unfolded in front of their eyes was what legends are made of. They saw Maj Thapa and his troops carrying out a Dhawa (a frontal assault – the copybook style charge). Fearless of the bullets, these men charged into the thicket and let go off a volley of fire from their depleting ammunition. The militia had never seen anything like this before and they just dissolved into thin air. Maj Thapa and his men had hit the last nail on the coffin of the determination of the militia with their ‘Dhawa’ act.

In the meanwhile, the Mi-17s landed at the football field under the watchful eye of the Attack Helicopters. Maj Thapa quickly shephered his men to the safety of the innards of the Mi-17 staying outside till the end to personally ensure that the last man was in. The injured were carried on shoulders and placed on the stretchers inside the M-17. He was really happy, he had done his job well despite of all odds. He had put up a tough fight against the militiamen for almost seven hours – and he had no casualties – his troops were safe thanks to pashupatinath (A Hindu God).

And then it happened. A sharp pain on the left abdomen – hands filled with blood – a numbing sensation and then a total blackout. Nobody saw the single bullet coming – nobody ever does! But it had hit him at a crucial spot. His fight for life began, but time was not on his side. His soul departed from his body at midnight, at Level-II hospital in Bunia.

We were all aghast with the loss of such a hero, such a dedicated soldier – a man of few words but great deeds. He is no longer with us, but he gave his life for the noblest cause possible – ‘Life itself!!!

I hope you are reading this KJ, We will all miss you!

AM A "TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT" SPECIALIST NOW !!!!

An Exam Faux Pax

In May last year I appeared for my exams for a diploma in training and development. The second exam(out of a total of six) will definitely be the one to remember. I had finished the first paper in the morning and came back after lunch to appear for the second. The moment I got the question paper I was zapped. I had studied for the wrong paper!!!! Anyway I had to take a decision whether to take it or drop. After going through the paper I decided to take a chance and go ahead with. I did stop for a moment to ponder about the consequence of what I was about to do. But there was nothing to loose, so I went ahead and wrote the paper with extra zeal and enthu. As I was turning in my exam paper, unlike previous exam, I did not feel an immediate rush of excitement but I was lost in thought, a quite reflection as I thought to myself about all the effort I had put in.

My experience of real life examples stood in in good stead and I cleared it in 1st Division. I could not resist this post, as I just got my diploma by post and a merit certificate to go along with it. I was thinking of the consequences of some decisions in life and its direct relationship to the out comes of future course of action.

Anyway all’s well that ends well.

MIT Survey

Try this one out