Army Chief’s surprise visit to old buddy in Poonch

Taking some quality time out of his busy schedule, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, on Saturday, dropped in at the residence of his old pal (Honorary Captain) Parvez Ahmed (Retired) of 18 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles at Kamsar village in Poonch to meet him.

The reunion was filled with nostalgia, laughter, and the quiet pride of soldiers who once stood shoulder to shoulder on duty.

The veteran JCO extended a red-carpet welcome to the Army Chief on his arrival and relived the glorious moments of their service years together. According to the Defence PRO in Jammu, “General Dwivedi and the veteran JCO had served together on multiple occasions, including during the period when the Army Chief commanded the battalion between 2002 and 2005.” During his stay, General Dwivedi not only enjoyed the warm hospitality but also interacted with the family members of his veteran colleague. Several other ex-servicemen and residents present on the occasion also met the Army Chief during the visit. “The Army Chief also felicitated veteran JCO with the Veteran Achiever Award in recognition of his continued contribution to society and his support during Operation Sindoor,” Defence PRO added. 

During Operation Sindoor, (Honorary Captain) Parvez Ahmed (Retired) played a significant role in supporting deployed troops by assisting with logistics and local coordination, drawing on his familiarity with the area and long association with the unit. His efforts, carried out at personal risk during periods of heightened tension, earned him recognition from the Army. Sub Parvez Ahmed joined the Indian Army in March 1991 and retired in March 2019 after 25 years of service. Over the course of his career, he served extensively in operational and instructional roles, including tenures as an instructor at training establishments. He also excelled in various specialised courses and was awarded for his service.

During his visit to forward areas in Poonch district, General Upendra Dwivedi also reviewed the operational preparedness of troops deployed in the area and interacted with personnel at forward locations. “General Upendra Dwivedi visited forward areas of the Poonch Sector to review operational preparedness.

He assessed deployment posture, surveillance measures and security arrangements and reviewed the overall readiness of formations deployed in the sector”, the Indian Army said in a post on X. “During the visit, the COAS interacted with troops and lauded the high standards of professionalism and readiness demonstrated by the soldiers deployed in the challenging terrain and commended their unwavering dedication and exceptional state of preparedness”.

General Upendra Dwivedi, also honoured three distinguished Veterans, Honorary Captain Parvez Ahmed (Retd), Havildar Gulam Hussain (Retd) and Havildar Mohd Bashir (Retd) with the ‘Veteran Achievers Award’ during his visit to White Knight Corps.