It is critical to make a good first impression. Every subsequent meeting or impression is most likely an extension of our first impression, and it becomes more critical when it comes to choosing one of the most prestigious fields, like the army. Former army officer Captain Rajendra Singh was taught the same during his initial training phase. As a result, he always made sure his seniors in the army always remembered him for his first impactful impression.
Let's find out about his first impression, how he made his journey memorable, and much more....
How was your first impression of the army like?
Before joining the actual Unit, our trainer in the army taught us that the first impression is the last impression. On my first day in the Unit, Honourable Major asked if I had done special guard training and told me to join as the commanding officer's stickman upon my affirmation. On the following day, I was waiting to meet our commanding officer. When he entered, I immediately stood in attention position. While doing so, the ground cracked. He astonishingly asked me how I did it.
" I did the steps required to stand in an attention position. This is what I have been taught during my training session", I replied.
It was my first impression in front of my commanding officer.
Which actor do you admire the most?
I admire many, but Manoj Kumar was my favorite. His nationalist-type movies were highly inspiring to me. Though movies are made for entertainment, I just used to see them for moral lessons. Once I went to Secunderabad for training purposes, where everyone was supposed to take notes and get them checked by the commanding officer. When he turned up to me, I refused to show him my notes as I used to write about movie characters in the middle of my notes. The commanding officer enquired about the reason for hiding the notes; I revealed the truth. He got furious and asked me to show him my skills in firing a bullet. I fired the first bullet from the first ever gun made in India. He got impressed again. For me, movies are a way to learn new skills that make me stand out from the crowd.
What is the role of Artillery in the war?
The term "artillery" has primarily referred to cannons since the invention of gunpowder and the cannon; however, in modern usage, it also relates to rocket artillery and shell-firing weapons such as howitzers, mortars, and cannons. However, "artillery" originally referred to any unit of soldiers armed with armour or manufactured weapons. The field artillery's job is to support other weapons by assisting attacks, providing defensive fire, destroying enemy gun emplacements, and acting as a platform for all other arms to operate.
Tell us something about Operation Brasstack.
While my battalion was posted to Agartala, we received an order to move toward western India. We had no idea where we were going; our commanding officer was clueless. We boarded our train; however, when it reached Ambala, we got orders to back off. Operation Brastek never happened as both the nations (India and Pakistan) made settlements through talks.
Share with us your experiences related to Operation Parakram.
Operation Parakram was one of the most challenging missions of my career. On the eve of Holi, we reached Nasirabad, Rajasthan, all the way from Assam. Generally, any war is planned in advance, but this was my first mission, where we received orders inside the barricade to keep our ammunition ready for the war. We had to fight in the desert and had no time to plan where to hide the devices and arms. We were so under pressure that it seemed like the actual fighting war would have been easier than dealing with the pre-war stress. There at 3 am once, I was woken and told to meet a senior of mine; I wondered who it could be. However, I went before the person and got astonished as she was a lady. She told me that she had to put landmines and needed to discuss this. Though I had seen females serving at army clinics, encountering a female in a defense operation was incredibly surprising.
How is your granddaughter doing?
She suffered her very first stroke at six months of age. At first, we thought she would be fine herself, but her illness worsens as she grows up. Unfortunately, there isn't any permanent cure for her condition. We don't know what her future will be like. However, her uncles and I are there for her. I have also bought insurance in her name to secure her future as much as possible. Rest is up to the Lord!
Final Words
So, this was the story of a retired army officer, Captain Rajendra Singh, who believes, people never forget a person for their first impression, no matter how many times they meet them. His army career can be referred to as a mixture of emotions. At first, Captain Singh dumbfounded the commanding officer by breaking the ground; later, he amused him by telling about his habit of writing movie characters between notes and finally surprised him with his outstanding artillery skills. We hope you enjoyed the segment as much as we enjoyed bringing them to you. For more such stories, keep following us.
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