Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat is all set to take over as the new Army Chief after Dalbir Singh steps down on December 31.
In the 37 years of service, Rawat has been awarded for gallantry and distinguished service with the AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM, COAS Commendation on two occasions and the Army Commander’s Commendation. Whilst serving with the United Nations, he was twice awarded the Force Commander’s Commendation.
Must Know Facts About Army Chief Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat
- Commissioned in the Army in December 1978, Lt Gen Rawat commanded an Infantry battalion along the Line of Actual Control in the Eastern Sector, a 5 Sector Rashtriya Rifles, and 19 Infantry Division in the Kashmir Valley.
- Lt Gen Rawat has superseded two seniormost Lieutenant Generals. The only other time the seniormost officer has not been appointed Chief was in 1983, when Lt Gen S K Sinha was overlooked for the post in favour of Gen A S Vaidya.
- Prior to taking over as the Vice Chief, Rawat was General Officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Command. Before this assignment, he was General Officer Commanding Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area located in Mumbai.
- As a Brigadier, he also commanded a multinational brigade in the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- His other assignments include Instructional tenure at Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, General Staff Officer Grade 2 at the Military Operations Directorate; logistics staff officer of a RAPID in central India, Colonel Military Secretary and Deputy Military Secretary in the Military Secretary’s Branch and Senior Instructor, Junior Command Wing.
